Pokemon Master
by Anthony Shadows
Summary: *1 NEW CHAPTER!**REWROTE* The love of Misty and Ash is infallible,right? Although after defeating the Elite Four Ash still can't see Misty's feelings; But she's willing to wait forever. But how long is forever when a mysterious new gym leader shows up?
1. Chapter 1: Returning Home

**Hello everyone who's been reading, **

**NOTE: THE STORY IS COMPLETELY REVAMPED/REWROTE!**

**So everything you loved is even better! Or hopefully anything you didn't like is changed. **

**New readers enjoy! And please review review review! And if you love the story and know anyone who might like it too spread the word! I'll be eternally grateful. **

**And if anyone, (crosses fingers) likes the story enough to do some fanart, I would officially take a bullet for you :D**

**I do not own any character from the Pokemon Franchise. **

[1]

~~~~~~~~~Returning Home~~~~~~~~~

After traveling for a day our heroes decided to rest up at a nearby pokemon center a few miles out from Vermillion City. Ash, Brock, and Misty were all relaxing on a sofa while their pokemon were being tended to. Misty sighed from behind the novel she was holding, a content sigh, one of alleviation. Yesterday had been a long day of walking and it was nice to be able to finally sit for awhile. Togepi wriggled in her arms playfully; she looked down at the small pokemon and smiled as she gently stroked her thumb over Togepi's head. Even though Togepi and Pikachu hadn't evolved yet they had both gotten so much stronger. It was funny; the same could be said for her and Ash's abilities as trainers. She glanced over at Ash who was mulling through a stack of magazines. She noticed that he tossed away a perfectly exceptional one regarding pokemon evolutionary habits.

'_It's almost impossible to believe it's been six years since we all met, it feels like so much longer' _she thought to herself.

Ash was now sixteen, and though his voice had deepened and his height had risen, his bold and sometimes childlike determination still lingered. His blissful disregard for, well for a lot of things had also decided to stick around. Misty would be turning eighteen in a few days, and contradictory to Ash, she had been growing up most rapidly for years now. There were some days where, at certain times, she could barely recognize her own image. Her hair, though it continued to be styled in a billowing side ponytail, was considerably longer, and when she freed it, it flowed beautifully to barely reach just underneath her shoulders.

Regardless of the number of many things that had changed, one striking and piercing contradiction remained absolute.

"Hey Ash I'm going to the machine for a snack, you want to come with me?" she asked, subtly drawing out her bait. Ash didn't answer and instead turned the page absent-mindedly.

"Ash?" she tried, casting out again.

"Huh?" he said looking up. Misty repeated herself for a third attempt.

"No I'm fine" he said distracted with the magazine. Another lost catch.

Misty was about to get up when they heard someone approaching and shifted their attention upward to see Nurse Joy appear from behind a door.

"Is there a Misty Waterflower here?" she announced to everyone.

"Um, right here" Misty answered timidly raising her hand.

"There is a call for you on videophone three" Nurse Joy explained and returned to the back.

"I wonder who that could be" Misty wondered aloud.

"I'll be back in a minute" she continued getting up and setting the novel she'd been reading, entitled _Evolve Already!_, onto the small table in front of her.

The beeping sounded and their pokemon were brought out as Misty disappeared around the corner.

"Who do you think would know we're here?" Ash asked Brock.

"Who knows." was his only reply.

They reattached their pokemon to their belts, and saved Misty's on the counter.

The boys waited for a couple minutes before Ash started getting antsy and began to shift his weight every few seconds. Before long though the small shift mutated into a full pace back and forward across the edge of the counter.

"She's taking forever," Ash complained.

"Well you know how a girl can talk" Brock sighed.

"Let's go wait outside, maybe she'll think we left her." Ash replied chuckling.

They grabbed the pokeballs and following a quick glance backward from Brock they walked outside into the bright sunlight. It was a great summer day, and they were both anxious to enjoy it. The wind blew circles around them, animating life into the nature surrounding them, the sound of millions of leaves rustling in the trees could be heard for miles. Brock and Ash located a place in the shade and sat on the ground to wait.

"So did you see what Misty's sisters were wearing yesterday when we were leaving?" Brock said nudging Ash in the ribs suggestively.

"Uh yeah of course, I mean you'd have to blind not to" he answered chuckling.

A few more minutes passed and they were just contemplating on leaving when Misty ran out the door.

"Hey guys wait up!" she yelled, hurriedly attempting to hoist her bag onto her shoulder.

"So who was on the phone?" Brock asked.

"My sisters." Misty answered.

"What did they want?" Ash pushed**.**

"They just wanted to thank us for the help we gave them yesterday with the gym, _and_ to tell me that a new gym leader has taken over Lt. Surge's gym."

"Really!" Ash exclaimed, a new blaze of anticipation in the face of challenge burned brightly in his eyes.

'_Why can't he ever have that much feeling over me?_' she lamented.

"Yeah, and he's giving out rare techniques to winners" she elaborated.

"All right!"

"Should we go?" Brock suggested.

"Of course, rare techniques are so worth the trip!" Ash exclaimed.

"Plus my sisters tell me he's soo dreamy" Misty gushed, '_I wonder if it's true?'_

Ash and Brock sweat dropped and felt their shoulders droop with the same manner as always when Misty found herself intoxicated with the thought of pretty men. Trying their best to ignore her they made their way to Vermillion to find out just who this new gym leader was.

They walked the twisting path through the woods talking and laughing; though as the group got hungrier things got quieter. Walking through the woods in silence made the rest of the trip towards Vermillion seem more mysterious. It was odd but the closer to Vermillion that they came a strange feeling became more and more apparent. Though no one admitted to feeling a sense of foreboding, it was clear all three of them felt its affects. A deep tightening feeling was contorting its way into Misty's stomach.

"So you think the new gym leader is going to stay with electric type Pokemon?" Brock mused aloud, trying to break the tension that seemed to encircle the entire trio. The air suddenly felt lighter as if a opening had been cut into it.

"I don't see why not, I mean you can't go handing out thunder badges without using electric pokemon." Ash replied matter-of-factly with his arms tucked behind his head while he walked with his eyes shut. Pikachu shifted uncomfortably on his shoulder now that Ash's arm invaded his space, though he was accustomed to traveling that way.

"What if the gym leader decided to change the entire badge and use different pokemon?" Misty proposed; she loved to get the better of Ash, regardless of how simple that task was to accomplish.

Stunned by the original thought, Ash opened his eyes and peered at her from over his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah I guess he could do that" Ash stumbled over his words, "I just care how tough he is".

"Do you think he's anything like Surge?" Misty asked curiously aloud.

"Well if he replaced Surge he must be stronger, a guy like the lieutenant wouldn't give his gym over to just anyone, even if it's his own idea to leave." Brock replied.

Misty nodded "Wow, you're right. He must be almost impossible to beat" she projected.

"It doesn't matter; I'll still beat him no matter what!" Ash cantered in his usual declaration, though Brock and Misty never gave thought to it anymore. Brock scratched his chin and took out his electronic database that he carried around everywhere. His fingers began to type along the small keyboard; the tones of the keys seemed to echo within the woods.

Misty was busy enveloped up in her own thoughts, _'My sisters are usually right about a guys looks, and Brock is always right about people's skill and strength, I just can't believe that a guy that gorgeous and powerful exists! Though that only leaves one question… I wonder if he likes water pokemon?'_ she clutched Togepi closer to her and walked slightly faster as she felt her emotions surge with anticipation.

Finally the crunching under their feet ceased as they reached the gate for Vermillion City.

"Oh yeah!" Brock yelled his fist pumped into the sky. He scrambled to the gate, arms outstretched into the metal bars, pushing his head nearly through the spacing. He looked from left to right like a crazed animal and eventually he spotted what he was looking for. He pulled his head back and looked at the other two. Ash and Misty stood confused for a moment when Brock pulled open the gate.

"FOOD!" He said and took off running.

They saw him enter a nearby hamburger joint. Misty's heart leapt with recognition as it was one of the places where her and Ash ate the first time they were in Vermillion. Her mind swirled with the nostalgic memories of the past. Ash and Misty followed their gluten friend and when they walked into the place they found Brock already at a table scarfing down french fries. Food fell from his mouth and Misty buried her face in her hands, embarrassed at the endless amount of people watching Brock shove his face with food.

"Can't you really slow down?" she mumbled to him.

"What?" Brock said with a mouth full of food, chunks of fried potato launching onto the table.

"Oh never mind!" She sighed as Ash kept himself buried in a menu.

"So Ash, maybe later you and I could go see the shore?" Misty suggested.

"Huh? Oh yeah maybe" he said half distracted.

His indifference bore itself into her chest, she grimaced with the force of it, but she wouldn't ever let it show, she couldn't, she was too strong and old for that nonsense.

'_I've changed how I treat him, and I really try to give him hints, but all he ever does is worry over pokemon. Even now after he's defeated the Elite Four and Gary, he still just moves onto other regions. Will he ever notice how much I love him?' _she thought despairingly, feeling suffocated and gripping the tabletop with frustration until her pale knuckles turned pitch white.

Brock caught a quick glimpse of his fiery haired friend out of the corner of his eye. Her delicate brow was downcast and her lips dragged downward in a tight pout. Though all of that was nothing compared to the cold sadness that her eyes held in them that, most of all, killed him every time he saw it. Thinking quickly, he devised a ploy to pull her out of her dejected disposition. By the time Brock was finished with his Dewgong impression using two fries and straws for whiskers Misty's melancholy had broken into stifled giggling. She didn't know what it was but Brock always seemed to know when she needed a lift.

They had hamburgers and shakes, which at one point came out Brock's nose when Ash told a joke about a Geodude in a circus. For the remainder of the time Misty sat there watching Ash; again not believing how long they all had been friends. Aside from her usual depressing thoughts it really was a fun time; they paid the bill and walked out into the bright Vermillion afternoon.

"So you guys ready to go see the new gym leader?" Ash asked excitedly.

"Sure, why not, let's get a move on" Brock stated and began to walk in the direction of Surge's old gym.


	2. Chapter 2: The Tides of Destiny

[2]

~~~~~~~~~The Tides of Destiny~~~~~~~~~

About twenty minutes later they arrived to see that the outside of the gym was about the same, though it had been painted black and the lightning bolts tearing their way across it had been painted a dark purple. The dark, now black, tower stood blocking the sun in front of them and there was now a mansion like addition extending from the side of the gym. There seemed to be an almost mystical feel around it that only increased as the group got closer.

The gym was a dark palace against the sunny day, but somehow it was welcoming.

The doors swung open in a slow creaking movement. Fog crept its way out as they walked in. The gym was darker inside than it used to be, but a few more lights flickered on as they approached. The blue mats had been replaced with black ones, and the windows were now semi tinted.

"Hello and welcome to my gym," a voice like echoing velvet radiated to them, it sounded almost like a piano being played.

Misty's breath caught in her chest and she looked around for the source of the beautiful sound.

A tall man stepped forward into the light and smirked at them.

He appeared to be about six feet tall. He wore a black silky dress shirt that fit just right, and a flowing black trench coat with silver buckles. His cascading black hair fell far past his shoulders in choppy layers; it had reflections of blue when the light hit it.

A silver chain looped from his waist, down to his right knee, and back up again, it swung across his black slacks as he walked over to greet them.

He grinned at them from behind his dark chocolate eyes, "Welcome, I am Matthias, the new gym leader." He explained in a soft and deep voice.

Misty took a sharp intake of breath as the handsome gym leader approached. He strolled over gracefully, his boots making soft and relaxing clunking noises. Brock and Ash took a step forward. There was something out of the ordinary about him, yet his mannerisms were oddly calming.

Misty couldn't help but notice his eyes, even though they were dark they burned with passion and life; there was a small sparkle of excitement that dwelled in them as well. They were soft, yet held so much strength and experience; it was as if he had lived a thousand lives. She found herself fixed by his gaze as it shifted over to her. As his eyes met hers, Misty could feel something spark and a tugging feeling gently pulled on her stomach.

Ash didn't know why, but the way Matthias looked at Misty made him feel uneasy, the need to protect her rose in him, he took a couple steps and stopped in front of her.

"We heard that you were giving away techniques as a prize for winning" Ash questioned suspiciously, he had no idea why he felt so strange about the man standing before him.

"Indeed, most of the techniques are very rare as well" Matthias stated still staring at Misty; he did not turn his attention away from her until a second or so later.

Now that he was closer Misty could see that he was fairly taller than both Ash and Brock, and that Ash seemed to be uncomfortable with having to look up to address him.

The tension they had felt in the woods returned now that they stood before this unfamiliar individual. Though Matthias' demeanor seemed kind and calming, they were intimidated by him and almost afraid of him. Then without warning Togepi wiggled out of Misty's arms, as she often did, and pranced over to him.

Matthias looked down smirking, and knelt to pick the small pokemon up.

"Hello there" he mused in a musical voice, "Are you always this much of a trouble maker?" he asked tickling Togepi's chin. She trilled and Matthias handed her back to Misty. The tension lifted as the group sighed; after experiencing the soft encounter they began to feel a little bit better about the gym leader.

"I also heard your strong enough to be one of the Elite Four" Brock said out of nowhere.

Both his companions looked at him in shock, "Huh?"

Matthias nodded slightly, "Yes that is indeed also true, I am impressed by your knowledge".

"I did some research on my electronic database on the way here," Brock explained showing them the small screen that read "Matthias Volt, Vermillion City Gym Leader" and gave a small description of his accomplishments and statistics, which included that he was next in line to be an Elite Four member.

"So how do you fight with inexperienced trainers who come here for the first time?" Brock inquired.

"I have a few different sets of pokemon, at different levels and types, but my main ones are up to the standards of the Elite Four" Matthias answered nonchalantly.

"That's good, cause I just came from beating them" Ash said he was starting to regain his boyish confidence, but still seemed to be taken aback by the looming gym leader's presence.

The gym leader grinned, "So who's up first?" he challenged.

"I'll go first, I'm Brock Shale, leader of the Pewter Gym".

"Sounds good Brock, the rules are two pokemon, one at a time. Although if none of you here object, to be fair to my pokemon, I will switch the two choices between trainers"

"Agreed!" the group nodded.

"Very good, than let us begin" Matthias stated and strolled to the other side of the arena.

He took off his trench coat and rolled up the sleeves to his dress shirt.

Misty found herself wondering if that was muscle straining against the fabric of the shirt as he moved, but quickly scolded herself in embarrassment. It wasn't at all like her to have such thoughts, especially about someone she _just _met.

"Are you prepared Brock Shale?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, go Graveler!" Brock shouted as he threw the pokeball.

"Come on out now, Lapras" Matthias spoke, and with a flick of his wrist the pokeball arched into the center of the field.

Misty excitedly gazed at the magnificent pokemon; Lapras was so majestic and best of all a legendary water pokemon.

"Graveler rock throw now!" Brock fired.

A swarm of boulders bombarded down onto Lapras. She was knocked backward, but otherwise appeared fine.

"Lapras, water gun" Matthias commanded softly.

A stream of water rocketed from Lapras' mouth.

"Dodge it!" Brock yelled, and Graveler dived to the ground just in time as the stream missed it by mere inches.

"Now, Hydro pump" the gym leader said quickly.

An enormous tornado of water barreled toward Graveler and struck, sending it flying back to Brocks feet, unconscious.

'_What graceful water attacks!' _Misty thought in awe.

"Return" Brock said gruffly. He took another pokeball off his belt and let it fly.

"Now go Onix!" he shouted as the giant rock creature burst from the light.

Onix gave an enormous roar and took a battle position.

"Bubblebeam." Matthias requested calmly.

The attack missed as Onix slithered to the left and dove for Lapras.

"Lapras, teleport" and with that the pokemon disappeared.

Onix looked around confused, Lapras appeared a few feet from where it had departed.

"Surf, Lapras." Matthias gave the command.

A gigantic wave materialized behind Lapras, and she sent it crashing into Onix, who gave a roar of defeat and collapsed to the floor.

Brock reluctantly called Onix back.

"You fought quite well Brock, it was just a lucky match up for me" Matthias said. "Now, who will be going next?" his eyes were glowing with adrenaline, though his voice and movements did not convey it.

"I will!" Ash said confidentially, watching Matthias battle Brock had convinced him that he didn't have to worry about the guy, and got him pumped for a battle. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town".

"I have heard much about you Ash, it would be dreadful for you to let me down" Matthias replied.

"Go Bulbasaur!" Ash commanded as he tossed the pokeball.

"Join us, Haunter" Matthias called out.

Ash told Bulbasaur to use vine whip, but the green whips only passed through Haunter.

"Haunter, night shade" A blast of purple and black engulfed the entire arena.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled, but the grass pokemon was still standing when the darkness ceased.

"Solarbeam!" Ash said as a huge blast of yellow light pierced through Haunter.

The ghost staggered and almost went down, but it steadied itself and was ready to counter as Matthias told it to use psychic. Bulbasaur was thrown down and rolled over unconscious.

Ash called it back, and sent out Charizard.

"Flamethrower now!" he yelled.

A wall of flame tore through the ghost and Haunter fainted as Matthias recalled it.

"Let us end this old friend" Matthias said to the ball, and sent it soaring.

Appearing from the pokeball in a storm of electricity was a Raichu.

"Raichu!" it sounded as it leaped into a battle stance, it looked a lot stronger than any Raichu they had seen.

Misty's heart sank, '_If he uses Raichu against me, I might as well just give up'_

A fierce battle commenced, punches and attacks blasted everywhere.

Until finally…

"FIREBLAST GO!"

"Raichu, thunder quickly, give it your all!"

Flames and lighting exploded everywhere. The sound was deafening.

One of the flames licked out at Matthias' shirt, causing it to ignite.

He immediately tore it off, throwing it to the ground.

Misty quickly put it out by calling out Staryu, and using water gun.

"Clever girl" He commented, flashing her a devilishly handsome smile as he turned to grab a shirt out of a shelf in the wall behind him. There seemed to be a spark in his smile that caught her in its wake.

Misty felt the same small tug and a whirling of butterflies in her stomach as she noticed how extremely muscular and defined his entire upper body was. He wasn't bulky like Surge, but his muscles stretched across his body in sculpted beauty and looked as if they could bend steel without a flinch. She had been right when she wondered what his tailored shirt hid.

"You keep shirts in your arena?" she heard Ash question from miles away, but all her eyes saw was how his muscles rippled as he chuckled.

"Yes, but it is usually _my _pokemon that get carried away" he answered.

It took Misty a second to comprehend it when her sight of the pale sloping rock that was Matthias' muscles had been replaced with an enveloping dark chocolate. Matthias had caught her eyes with his as he pulled a tight black t-shirt over his tone body. He merely chuckled softly, and what sounded almost poetically to Misty.

She gasped and quickly looked down, the familiar red line appearing across her face.

Charizard lay unconscious in the middle of the arena.

"That was an amiable attempt Ash, I have not had such an intense battle in awhile, Raichu and I thank you." He finished and looked directly at Misty.

"I believe it is just you and I now", his chocolate eyes flashed, there was something in the way he said it that excluded the two boys in the gym.

Her breath threatened to fail her, but she composed herself and nodded.

"And what is your name?" he inquired seeming quite curious to find out.

"I'm Misty Waterflower, gym leader of Cerulean City." She stammered out a bit less powerful than she wanted.

"Well it is a delight to meet you Misty" Matthias replied his words dancing to her like a bow descending on a cello.

She sent out Staryu, and breathed a sigh of relief when Matthias called out Rhydon.

"Rhydon use earthquake" he requested.

"Staryu, jump into the air!" Misty yelled.

The seismic waves passed under Staryu, as it shot a beam of water at Rhydon.

The beam landed a direct hit, and Rhydon staggered back, but was only weakened.

"Rock throw"

"Surf, Staryu!"

Both moves collided with their intended targets simultaneously. Rhydon and Staryu collapsed at the feet of their trainers.

"Go, Starmie!" Misty called out confidant now. But as Starmie poised itself for its opponent Misty heard the name of the next pokemon Matthias was going to use and her heart fell once again.

"Zapdos, come on out".

Starmie was able to dodge the first couple of electric attacks.

Zapdos was injured fairly bad by the physical attacks Starmie was able to inflict.

Though the battle took a devastating turn when Matthias threw his arm up commanding Zapdos to use thunderbolt. As he did that Misty had a vivid vision of running her delicate hand up his washboard of a stomach, feeling the naked flesh and rock tight muscle. Starmie hesitated for a second, not sure to whether dodge or not and was captured by the bolt of electricity. The sound blasted Misty out of her fog.

Starmie was writhing around under the stream of lightings power, and it was apparent it was in real pain. Misty gasped and almost cried as she realized there was nothing she could do to stop it.

All of a sudden the deep velvet voice rang out, almost in rage "ZAPDOS ENOUGH!"

It seemed to Misty that time itself stopped for that voice and the words that reverberated through the gym as if it were an endless cathedral.

"What have I told you about respect and restraint!" he scolded the bird.

Zapdos bowed its head and nodded once before Matthias called it back.

He jogged forward to meet Misty over by Starmie, a hyper potion already in hand.

Misty was in awe of his actions, and the fact that he was so close to her she could see herself in his eyes.

"I deeply apologize," he said earnestly.

"It's…fine" Misty breathed out as his indescribable scent hit her. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before, it made her heart flutter madly and her head as light as a feather.

He gave Starmie the potion, and stood.

"You should get Starmie to the pokemon center immediately" he instructed.

"Right, come on guys lets go" Brock said.

"Just let me close the doors up, I wish to accompany you all to the center" Matthias said softly.

'_He's going to come with us?" _ Misty's mind reeled.

But just as they made their way out the door, some new trainers were walking up the path.

"It's fine, thank you for everything, it was a pleasure to meet you" Misty chocked out.

"The pleasure was all mine" Matthias returned soft enough that only she could hear. He seemed troubled that he could not go and make sure Starmie would be alright, though there was curiousness in his voice that didn't seem to pertain to her pokemon.

And with that they left; a wary gym leader waving slightly behind them.


	3. Chapter 3: High Tide

[3]

~~~~~~~~~High Tide~~~~~~~~~

Ash, Brock, and Misty hurried to the Vermillion Pokecenter.

The mechanical doors slid open in a whoosh.

"How can I help you three?" Nurse Joy questioned from behind the counter.

"My Starmie needs help, she was electrocuted badly!" Misty exclaimed.

"Oh my, I hope you used a hyper potion" she replied.

"We did. You can take her right?" Misty pleaded.

"Of course, but it will take a little while to heal her." Nurse Joy explained and took the pokeballs into the back.

"I hope Starmie will be ok," Ash said.

"I'm sure, Starmie's are incredibly resilient" Brock comforted Misty.

Misty gave him a small nod, she _was _worried about Starmie, but something different was going on in her head.

'_How could I let myself even think something like that, let alone in the middle of a battle! I've hardly ever had those kinds of thoughts, I mean yeah sometimes I imagine what it would be like to kiss Ash, but what's wrong with me?' _her mind raced.

Brock noticed something in her face, but dismissed it this time as nothing of importance.

The time on the clock ticked away slowly, Misty had managed to calm herself since they had first arrived but some nervousness still lingered.

Brock was deep in a conversation with some random girl about pokemon breeding; while Ash lay out on a sofa, his hat tipped over his eyes trying to get to sleep.

Misty sat in a chair with her legs tucked to her chest, trying to make sense of her emotions.

'_I love Ash,' _She thought, looking over at him. '_I mean I think I do, I still get a weird feeling when I look at him, but it's not anything compared to how I feel when I see…No I can't think about him. I'm sure Ash will notice how I feel and declare his feelings for me soon.'_

"Hey Ash, maybe after Starmie gets out she'd like to play at the shore huh?" she egged on.

"You're still going on about the shore?" he mumbled from under his cap. "Yeah, maybe after I beat Matthias we'll have some time" he continued.

Misty felt the slight pang in her chest at his words, tears began to try and force their way out but she fought them back, '_Why can't he just open his eyes!'_.

Brock had been walking back from his discussion when he heard what Ash said, and saw the slight trip in Misty's expression. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she wanted to spend time with Ash, and he was completely oblivious.

"Yeah after beating Matthias we all could use a rest, the shore sounds awesome" Brock said enthusiastically.

Misty's face cheered and she let a small smile escape from her lips.

Just then the computerized beep sounded, and all their pokemon were brought out, back in perfect health.

"Well it's too late for a gym battle, maybe we should just go find a place to stay tonight" Brock suggested. Ash looked disappointed, but begrudgingly agreed.

They found the only place that had rooms left and settled in.

"You know I here Vermillion has some of the nicest shops in the region" Misty said, "Maybe tomorrow we could go check them out after fighting with Matthias" she got a funny feeling just saying his name.

"Hm? Yeah sure sounds good" Ash halfheartedly replied.

With that they said their goodnights and closed the connecting door.

'_I hope they remember my birthday is this week' _Misty thought making her way to the bed.

Sleep came as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Misty awoke to the warm glow of sunlight against the soft curtains of the room. She yawned stretching her arms out to shake off the sleep that tempted her to return. Slowly she slid off the bed to her feet and gathered her clothes. Misty trudged across the cold tile floor to the bathroom and began to get ready for the day. She was excited to see what the day would bring, though she was afraid of seeing Matthias again, not because she was afraid of him but rather she was afraid of what seeing him would do to her. What if she was unable to control her thoughts all over again?

"I'm supposed to be the calm levelheaded one!" she told the Misty in the mirror. "I'm always supposed to know how I feel…aren't I?" she stared at the mirror Misty but there were no answers there, only silence. She looked into the eyes of the mirror Misty and even though her reflection shown in them she still couldn't see who she was anymore. Misty tried to wash away those thoughts in the shower and to just let the water falling carry them away but was unsuccessful. What is so wrong with her lately? Why have Ash's dismissals been carrying so much more gravity to them? Why was she becoming more and more enthralled with handsome strangers? Misty was sure of one thing though, she was not the twelve year old girl that she was six years in the past.

Getting dressed after her shower Misty wondered what they would do for breakfast to get her mind away from its intrinsic chaos, and since her stomach was so kind as to grumble its curiosity loudly. Finished dressing she grabbed her key card and walked out into the hallway. She knocked on the boy's door, to receive no answer in return.

'_Of course they can't make this easy'_ Misty thought to herself.

"Come on guys!" she shouted, and pounded on the door with slightly more force.

The handle clicked and the door slowly opened to Ash and Brock dressed, but only half awake.

"Yeah, yeah we heard you" Brock mumbled.

They took the elevator down to the first floor and found their way to the hotel restaurant next to the gift shop.

Matthias sipped his morning coffee as he walked along the street in town, his Raichu walking next to him. He was staring down at a list of things he needed to get done before the gym opened, though his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

"Raichu, did you happen notice Zapdos wasn't quite herself this morning?" he asked his electric companion.

Raichu simply gave a small nod for he was distracted by a woman who had just brought a tray of freshly baked muffins to her stand. Matthias sighed and unenthusiastically bought two peach muffins, begrudgingly handing one to Raichu.

"That is the last one for a week, understand? Anymore and I am going to have to sell the gym to feed you" he chided.

Walking along again, he still couldn't quite understand what could be making Zapdos upset, though he was certain it didn't have anything to do with him reprimanding her. He didn't have to do that often, but when he did his pokemon always understood why and Zapdos, most of all, always took it well. After stopping a few more places he made his way to a small table in the park, in town square, and took a seat pushing the other seat out with his foot so that Raichu could hop up. The tables all stood on a cobblestone section of the park that was shaded by trees that where half weeping willow and half cherry blossom. Town was pretty empty at eight in the morning; regardless Matthias took a table that was off to the side, closest to the grass.

He sat back to pontificate upon his thoughts and hopefully draw some conclusions about the questions they held. When he had decided that he wanted to become one of the elite four he knew he would have to choose very carefully the pokemon he would need to accomplish such a heavy feat. He had chosen to catch pokemon that, with a lot of training, would become very strong and powerful when they evolved. He remembered how many people looked at the ten year old Matthias and shook their heads and telling him that his pokemon were going to be dangerous and hard to handle. Though those people ended up being quite wrong, granted it was a tremendous amount of work, but Matthias' pokemon had always revered him and most of the time stood by his side without question. Though there were a couple had given him a hard time in the past, he looked over at Raichu, who was out of his seat and halfheartedly chasing a Pidgey around, and smirked.

'_It's funny, the ones that give you the most trouble end up being the ones that are closest to you'_ he thought as he watched Raichu pouncing around in pursuit.

Matthias was quite happy about how far he had come, and aside from his pokemon nothing had reminded him of that more than the battle he had fought yesterday. If he hadn't stuck by his dream he would have never experienced such battles throughout his adventure. Now at twenty one years old and being seriously close to becoming the youngest member of the elite four yesterday's battle was just what he needed to keep on striving. His thoughts began to stray to the battle and away from history. Matthias couldn't help but to be impressed and to take note of the three trainers he encountered yesterday. Ash had so much will and determination, Brock had such knowledge and experience. Misty…Misty had the best of both of them. But she also had something more, a strength that ran deeper than fortitude and wisdom, and Matthias knew what that meant. He had been told that he possessed that same strength, that same potential. He thought more about the gym leader of Cerulean, yesterday there was just something about her that struck his interest; though he couldn't place what. He leant back further running a hand through his hair.

'_Was it her ability, her likeness in skill'_ he asked himself and asked the blossom that had fallen onto the table to break his musing. He knew that was part of answer, but there was just something more.

"What are your thoughts on the matter?" he asked Raichu, who had returned to his seat.

Being used to his trainers enigmatic inquiries that came out of silence Raichu just shrugged and shook his head.

"I suppose actually saying aloud what is on my mind would help, eh?" he chuckled as Raichu gave a sarcastic nod.

He ruffled the fur on Raichu's head, "Maybe one day" he said.

"Well shall we get this list done?" he stood and started to walk but turned to scoop up the blossom before following Raichu across the street hands planted contemplatively in his pockets.

"Hey after breakfast let's stop in the gift shop" Misty suggested, her eyes filled with all the interesting looking things behind the glass wall.

Breakfast was nice after all the mornings of campfire food, but the restaurant was even more amazing, there were large glass sculptures and fountains that reflected the sun perfectly, so much better than being outside and covered in dew. Misty was really glad they had decided to come to Vermillion, and the boys seemed to be as well. It was such a great city, it almost made Misty forget about Cerulean. Though she was eighteen Misty was unsure about what direction she wanted for her life. So many things were unclear, paths more like sketches than drawings. Even though she did have rough drafts,

'_The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry'_ she thought to herself using one of her favorite quotes.

"So do you guys ever think about how things will be after our adventures are done? You know one day just settling in, still traveling sometimes but having a roof to come home to?" Misty asked.

"Hah, I'm not ever going to do that, there will always be more pokemon to catch, more places to see, and more people to beat!" Ash, being Ash, proclaimed.

Brock smiled and nodded, "Yeah, one day when I know the time is right, and my goals lead me to, and of course, if I meet the right woman" he finished gazing up at the waitress who was walking by and rolled her eyes.

"Why, have you?" He asked seeming to forget what just happened. He understood those feelings and knew that sometimes it was good to talk to someone who had them as well.

"Well, being here and doing things like this has really shown me how nice it will be" she replied.

Misty didn't want to tell them how nice it felt to her, or how much she couldn't wait till she could. She had this feeling that traveling around the world wasn't the only way to become a pokemon master, but she wasn't certain she knew any other way yet.

They finished eating and, after paying the check, made their way to the gift shop. Misty walked in and immediately began looking around at everything. The shop itself was huge compared to most hotel shops she'd been in, they had everything. Misty started to look through some beautiful sundresses while the boys occupied themselves at the wall across from her that held sunglasses and battle handbooks.

'_Maybe if I was as good looking as the mannequin Ash would notice me'_ she sighed.

'_Maybe if I were the cookie cutter girls my sisters are, maybe if I was __**any**__ other girl'_ she thought.

She found, ironically, a vermillion one that she held up to herself.

"What do you think guys?" Misty questioned.

"Looks good" Ash replied not taking his eyes off the handbook he was reading.

"I dunno, you should try it on" Brock said being typical.

She rolled her eyes, though Brock was just joking to be perverted she really liked the dress so she walked to the fitting room and tried it on. Holding her breath she opened the door and stepped out.

"So?" she asked apprehensively, pinching the sides of the dress nervously.

"Wow Misty that actually does looks great on you!" Brock said supportively.

She sighed and turned to Ash, who looked up quickly.

"Yeah I agree" he said returning to his reading.

'_What do I have to do!'_ her mind asked.

She looked back down at the dress debatably.

"Alright, the final thing on the list is to make that reservation" Matthias said to himself, "They don't allow pokemon to walk around the hotel unless they can be carried, and there is no way I am going to attempt that!" he said poking Raichu in the stomach only to get a small shock, and a look that could burn the eyes off a person from the mouse.

"O.K. I deserved that, now get in the ball please?"

He hooked the ball back to his belt and walked through the sliding doors. He talked with the woman at the counter and made the reservation for his friends four days from then. He smiled and took the receipt, though wondering why the woman looked so flustered when she didn't seem very busy. He was on his way out when he passed the gift shop and remembered he needed a new jacket to train in.

"Well I am already here, I might as well" he said and walked in. He found the jackets and immediately began looking for the black ones, if Raichu was free he would have given Matthias the "Black again?" look but thankfully, Matthias thought, the electric fuzz ball was not out.

He was mulling through the sizes when he heard a familiar voice and looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw the three trainers he had battled yesterday and were just on his mind. His eyes remained wide because he saw Misty in a beautiful red-ish orange dress. His brow furrowed, what was it about this girl that had his attention so rapt? She walked closer and he could see how beautiful the dress was on her. There was something different, something special about her that Matthias couldn't put his finger on and it was baffling him to no end.

She walked even closer but stopped and turned the other way to ask the boys their opinions.

As her companions gave their thoughts Matthias debated whether or not to speak up.

'_It would be odd to receive a compliment from someone you hardly know, though I enjoy getting compliments from anyone'_ he deliberated in his head. But that something special about her ended his indecisive dispute.

"I think it looks rather marvelous and stunning" a deep voice sounded from behind her.

Misty jumped out of surprise, though she knew the voice that played havoc with her heart, she turned to see Matthias standing there, leaning on a rack of black track jackets. He wasn't wearing his black dress shirt, but had on a tight black t-shirt in its place, though he still wore his black dress slacks, chain, and boots.

"I apologize, I did not mean to frighten you" he said looking a bit surprised himself.

"No, no it's fine. I just was taken off guard" Misty replied trying to regain her composure.

'_Ok, Misty just relax and act normal. He'll think you're strange if he sees you freaking out'._

He smiled, "I was just browsing here and overheard, the dress looked so nice on you I felt I had to give my opinion"

His words were casual enough but, like yesterday, Misty felt that there was something more to them, though the feeling wasn't bad at all.

"So what brings you here, shouldn't you be at the gym?" She asked trying to make conversation.

'_What are you, accusing him now? God Misty pull it together'._

"Well the gym does not open till ten so I take the mornings to do errands or just relax" Matthias replied.

"Errands, at a hotel?" Ash said questioningly.

"Rarely, but I have some friends coming into town soon and I had to make a reservation for them" he explained. "So as gym leader of the city what can I get you from this shop?"

"That's so nice, but you really don't have to get us anything" Misty said.

"Speak for yourself" the boys cantered and went to pick out something.

Matthias turned to Misty, "Surely you would like this beautiful dress?"

"Well yeah, but it's too expensive for you to buy as a spontaneous gift, and it would be rude of me to ask" she answered.

Matthias thought to himself, "That's logical, how about this?" he replied holding up a Starmie beach towel.

"Since I feel just terrible about what happened yesterday" he added, his eyes warm with sincerity.

Misty smiled, "Sure, thanks" it felt so strange to have someone buy _her_ something for a change.

Matthias paid for their gifts and walked with them back to the lobby.

"Well I shall see you all at the gym sometime then?" he asked.

"Of course! We got a match to settle" Ash responded.

Matthias nodded matter of factly and walked out the front entrance, but not before a small wave in Misty's direction.

"Wow, that was really cool of him" Brock said.

"Yeah" Misty said holding her Starmie towel, lost in her own thoughts.

"Well what are you guys waiting for lets go get our stuff and get to the gym!" Ash proclaimed.

Brock and Misty sighed but went back and collected what they needed for the day.


	4. Chapter 4: Lost at Sea

[4]

~~~~~~~~~Lost at Sea~~~~~~~~~

Walking into the afternoon sun they started on their way to the gym only to be stopped by the sight of a carnival looking ride that spun in a circle while people and pokemon swung on the swings that were attached. As soon as they saw it Togepi and Pikachu immediately ran in the rides direction.

"Togepi! Come back here!" Misty called out and took off after the pair.

"Yeah, come on Pikachu" Ash said running after Misty.

Brock followed with a jog shaking his head.

Misty quickly caught up to the egg and picked her up, "You shouldn't run off like that" she told Togepi. But all the small pokemon did was start crying and waving her arms.

"Ok Ok! You can have one ride, but then we have to go to the gym" she sighed and bought Togepi a ticket.

Ash shrugged his shoulders and got Pikachu a ticket to, and after seeing a couple girls in shorts walk on Brock decided he would ride with the two pokemon. The ride started up and Ash and Misty watched as their pokemon laughed and waved at them. However they couldn't bear watching Brock leer at the girls in front of him.

"We really need to find him some help" Misty said sweat dropping.

Ash could only nod while staring down at the ground.

All of a sudden an enormous Fearrow dive-bombed out of the sky and swooped in on the ride to grab Togepi and fly off.

"Togepi!" Misty cried out trying to run after the bird, as Ash stood not sure what to do.

"Go after it Ash, I'll meet you guys after this thing stops!" Brock yelled to Ash looking helpless in the small swing.

Ash tore off after Misty and the giant poultry trying to come up with a plan. He finally caught up to Misty to find her bent over with her hands on her knees trying to get her breath back.

"I lost…them, the last thing…I saw was the bird land somewhere in the middle of…that!" she said breathlessly and pointed to the middle of town which was packed with people and hundreds of shops with large rooftops.

Ash took his hat off and scratched his head, how were they ever going to find Togepi in that?

"Ash, we have to get her back!" Misty said panicked tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't worry, we will" he said putting a hand on her shoulder, though inside he wasn't so sure of himself.

Brock came into view not even out of breath or sweating.

'_Wow I guess chasing girls does come with its advantages_' Ash thought to himself a little creeped out.

They started searching, pushing their way through the immense and engulfing crowds calling out for the small egg pokemon. They asked anyone that would listen if they had seen a Togepi. All the while Misty grew more and more panicked, all the memories she had came back as she struggled through the masses. The three continued to search everywhere until the sun began to fall from the sky and the town became even more crowded with evening shoppers. They met up in the only unpopulated area left, Misty was sobbing into Ash's shoulder when Brock trudged over empty handed.

"We'll find her don't worry Mist" Brock said softly, "It's not dark yet, we still have more time to look".

Then through her sobs Misty thought she heard a trill that she knew quite well. She looked in the direction so quickly she nearly gave herself whiplash, on one of the rooftops she saw Togepi walking along the edge near the curtain awning.

"Guys! Look!" she cried pointing out Togepi.

"Come on let's go quick" Ash replied and they all ran to the shop not caring about bumping into people.

The three found the right one and luckily enough the back of the store with a ladder faced their direction, they climbed the ladder as fast as they could and ran across the roof to Togepi. Misty's heart was pounding; she had to make it in time.

Though before Misty could get to her the pokemon tripped and fell onto the cloth awning. Misty ran faster and got to the edge just to see Togepi walking along the awning now, but heading to the edge and the street.

"Togepi stop!" She yelled to the pokemon but Togepi wasn't paying attention and continued heading toward the fall.

Carefully Misty crawled onto the cloth hoping it would hold her long enough to get Togepi. Her outstretched arm grew closer and closer to the egg and just when she was about to grab Togepi the awning began to tear slightly but the force caused the small egg to trip and fall over the edge.

"TOGEPI!" Misty screamed as the awning tore completely and she began to fall fast.

The only thing Misty heard was the wind, even though it was only a three story drop it felt like forever, the rush of air preventing her from screaming. Then she came to a sudden stop and felt her body jerk slightly from the impact, though it wasn't at all how a fall from that high should have been. Though what she landed on felt tense it was also soft and warm, it was extremely confusing. When her mind caught up to her Misty looked to see a Raichu holding a happy and trilling Togepi.

'_A Raichu? That means…'_ her mind slowly figured. Misty then realized she was being held bridal style by none other than Matthias Volt. She turned very slowly to her right to come face to face and within inches of his dark chocolate eyes. She could see every small speckle of light brown amongst the sea of dark in them. His luscious scent cradling her as his arms did the same. The warm sensation of his fingers wrapped across her leg made her blush deeply. Misty was breathless now, but it wasn't because of the fall. She could feel his tensed muscles press against her; her face was so close, so very close to his. Her heart beat in her ears, drowning out the sounds around them, isolating the two further in Misty's mind.

'_If I leant in just a little it might look like an accident, just a tiny bit'_ her instincts pushed.

Her breathing was ragged and she couldn't tear her eyes off his perfect lips. She was so close she could feel the heat radiating from them, her body and mind screamed for it. For that second all Misty yearned for was his kiss, to feel the warmth of his lips against hers.

"Misty? Are you alright?" Matthias spoke softly but his tone was strained with worry. His words snapped her out of her daze.

"Uh huh" she said blinking her eyes and shaking her head trying to clear it.

"Are you certain?" he pushed leaning in a bit closer.

A million butterflies flurried inside her, Misty had to use every fiber of her strength left to stop herself from just leaning in that one tiny inch and pushing her lips to his.

"Yeah…yeah" she replied nodding.

Matthias studied her eyes for another moment and then gently set her down. Misty took one step before her legs gave way and she found herself against Matthias and in his arms once more. Her head resting against his chest she could feel his heart, which was beating a tiny bit quickly, most likely as a result of her basically falling on him out of nowhere.

"That is what I was afraid of" he said a small smile in his voice.

Suddenly a heavy set man was yelling loudly at her, almost screaming and waving his hands about. Misty stepped out of Matthias' embrace and tried to clear the fog away from her mind she attempted to explain to the man who must have been the owner. She was only able to get out a few words before Matthias stepped in front of her with a strange puzzled look on his face.

"Excuse me, but what in the name of everything that exists do you think you are doing" he exclaimed softly but his words burned with wrath. "Are you so indescribably inept that you cannot see that this young lady has not only lost her pokemon, but was also almost seriously injured?" he continued, though his volume remained low his words adopted a cold and calculated fury that was quite unnerving almost as if he was about to tear the mans heart out, gently though.

"I believe that is much more important than some shoddy decorate, I will pay for any damage but as of this moment you had better get out of my sight" he finished his eyes blazing.

The store owner hurriedly ran back into the shop. Matthias exhaled and when he turned back to Misty his eyes were warm and comforting.

'_Note to self, don't get on his bad side'_ Brock thought to himself.

"I apologize for his actions, he clearly wasn't thinking correctly" Matthias said.

"It's…fine" Misty smiled "Thank you, so much"

"Well I did not do very much, but I do try to be a knight in shining armor" he replied.

"But that's impossible for you" Misty said "Black armor wouldn't really shine".

Matthias grinned as he laughed, "Right you are, seeing as the gym is already closed for the night how about I take you all for coffee or shakes or what have you?" he invited.

They all looked at each other and shrugged, "Sure, we don't have any plans" Brock answered.

"Excellent, you especially could use some sugar" Matthias said noting how exhausted Misty appeared to be.

They began their way to the coffee shop, Misty holding Togepi tightly to her. Matthias walked close to Misty in case she was more tired than she thought, ready to catch her once more.

Seeing the two walking in front of him Ash felt something strange slither its way through his insides, but couldn't describe it to save his life. Matthias was walking almost as Misty's shadow, not touching, but damn near gliding behind her. It was apparent that he didn't have to be touching her for Ash to feel the residual wake of their energy crackle against his skin. His stomach churned in a rejecting protest to the stinging sparks.

"You don't have to guard me you know" Misty said looking up at Matthias, testing him out.

"Well I am certain it is nothing your friends wouldn't do if I weren't here" he responded with a smile and turned to Brock and Ash.

Hearing him say that seemed to quell the strange creature inside Ash, though by no means did it rid him of the beast completely. They all sat at a table outside a quaint cafe and looked at the menu. So many questions burned inside Misty that she wanted just to blurt them all out. She wanted to know all about this mysterious man that sat beside her. They ordered and their drinks came fairly quickly, one advantage of being in the company of the city's gym leader.

"So is one of the Elite Four really thinking about leaving?" Brock inquired over his tea.

Matthias finished a sip of his coffee, "Actually, you did not hear this from me but the Elite have been debating on whether Lance is fit to lead them, some have argued he wasn't presenting enough of a challenge".

"Yeah, I know what you mean" Ash said trying to get the milkshake into his straw.

"Well we all know battling Prima is always a challenge" Misty gushed trying to balance her coffee in one hand and Togepi in the other.

Matthias' brow furled for a moment, "Oh Lorelei, yes she is very skilled. I do often forget she goes by Prima nowadays".

"How well do you know Pri… Lorelei?" Misty asked excitedly.

Matthias smirked with nostalgia, "We grew up together, she lived right next door to us actually". He leaned back in his chair and sighed thinking back, "She always used to give me such a difficult time, always pushing me to do better. I guess she knew more than I, given what path we both chose and how well it is going".

For as skilled and dedicated as he was Misty could help but notice how humble Matthias was.

"I would die if Gary turned out to be like Prima and got ahead of me" Ash replied still battling with his shake.

"Well there's no cause for concern, there must two males and two females and Koga is not going anywhere for awhile. He's as stubborn as an ox." Matthias assured him.

Misty sipped on her coffee and took in the sight of Matthias, thinking of how weird it would be knowing him before he became one of the Elite Four, she wondered if he would remember them when he was at the top. As Misty found herself lost in thought she felt a light brush against her leg but ignored it. In fact she hardly noticed the slight contact till something warm and moist touched the side of her leg. Misty jumped and looked down to see Matthias' Raichu staring up at her, head cocked to the side slightly as if studying her. She let out the breath she'd been holding and petted the top of Raichu's head to which the pokemon leaned into her hand and gave her palm a quick lick.

"You're a sneaky little one aren't you?" Misty said stroking the electric mouse's ears gently.

Matthias had an amused smile on his face, "It seems Togepi's not the only one who has taken to a stranger, I have never seen him act like this to someone he just met".

"Aw! I'm so flattered" Misty said grinning and ruffling Raichu's ears. She felt so cheerful and warm inside, and Misty wasn't sure if it was the static from Raichu, or the feeling of being accepted. Though being around Pikachu so long she had gotten used to the static.

"So how did Raichu join your group?" Misty asked still absentmindedly rubbing the orange Pokémon's ears. For the first time Misty saw Matthias look unsettled as he and Raichu exchanged a glance. His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared just a tiny bit. Raichu froze under her touch and fear rose up in her throat, did she say something wrong? Would Matthias be angry with her? Her palms broke out in a clammy sweat, and she frantically scrambled for something to say.

"I mean, did you raise him from a Pikachu, was he your first pokemon or something?" she quickly stammered hoping to undo whatever she had done.

The tension in Matthias drained away and his shoulders shrugged back to normal, Raichu relaxed back into her hand as well.

"Ah, of course. Yes I did raise him from a Pikachu, though he was not my first pokemon. It's a rather interesting story if you all would care to hear it" Matthias stated.

Misty relaxed, letting out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding but couldn't help but wonder what had made the gym leader and his Raichu so unnerved.

"We have plenty of time" Brock said encouragingly.

"Yeah go on!" Ash exclaimed obviously interested.

"Alright then" Matthias said ordering another coffee and whatever else the group wanted.

Matthias told them about his first day as a pokemon trainer, how he had chosen Charmander, being from the Kanto region, even though his true passion was for electric pokemon. So he decided to set out to the Viridian Forest and find a Pikachu to catch.

"I was wandering around the forest for hours and it was beginning to get dark before I finally found a Pikachu!" Matthias explained.

He was just about to pull out Charmander to battle the mouse when a huge truck crashed through the trees. Giovanni, a notorious criminal at the time, stepped out of the truck with a net gun and shot one of the nets at the Pikachu. Matthias could remember how quickly the Pikachu moved to avoid the net, it was faster than he'd ever seen a Pikachu move. The small yellow pokemon tore off into the forest with Giovanni and his men giving chase. When Matthias tried to block their way the brute just uppercut Matthias in the stomach and shoved him out of the way.

"When I finally got my breath back I knew I had to help that Pikachu".

Matthias got to his feet and started sprinting in the direction that everyone had run off in. He could hear his pulse in his ears and his lungs burnt from exertion. He remembered how badly the trees stung as they whipped against him, but he didn't care, all he could think of was saving that pokemon. Matthias could hear Pikachu crying out for help as it ran as fast as its legs could carry it, he recalled how it hurt just hearing it, the tears it brought to his eyes with every frantic yelp the Pikachu screamed, but it also helped him fight through his own pain. Finally the group came into view and he could see the fear on Pikachu's face as it ran, looking back at the men trying to hunt it down.

"To this day, I will never forget the terror on his face" Matthias said grimacing, his jaw tight as he fought away the emotions.

Matthias was closing in quickly when Pikachu tripped over a fallen branch and hurt his leg. Matthias saw the small pokemon tumble over and over again through the harsh underbrush crying out in agony. The tears that had formed in his eyes finally fell at the sound of it, and he ran even faster than he thought he could ever run. Giovanni had picked up the Pikachu and was about to inject something into it. Matthias could see the needle going toward the mouse in slow motion as he got closer and closer, soon the needle was just above the skin. Matthias grabbed the pokemon from Giovanni just as the needle was about to penetrate the skin and ran towards a clearing ahead of them.

"I could see the clearing getting nearer, and I remember thinking if I could just get there we would be ok" Matthias explained, his eyes troubled with the memory.

He got the clearing with Pikachu in his arms only to find it was the shoreline for an enormous pond. Matthias skidded to a stop, almost falling over the edge into the dark and murky water. He turned in dread to see that Giovanni and his men had slowed and knew that he was trapped. Standing on the edge his heart was beating so hard he thought it might explode. His arms and legs were shaking and he tried to formulate a plan but nothing came. He looked to the small pokemon in his arms silently asking for permission for what he knew he had to do.

"Pikachu knew exactly what I was thinking, and gave a small nod right away. It was such a connection"

Matthias took at deep breath and turned to leap into the dark water, as he fell through the air he felt the grip of a net enclose around him. The water swallowed him up, and the net began to drag him down. It was so dark he couldn't see a thing; he tried to scream only to choke on the rush of water. What Matthias didn't know was that Pikachu was desperately gnawing at the net and making progress. The net broke free of them and Matthias swam frantically for the surface.

"It was then I saw a dark shadow course through the water next to me, it turned out that Giovanni had sent his Gyarados in to finish me and take Pikachu".

Matthias felt the tug on his leg and was pulled down once more, he beat against the Gyarados as hard as a ten year old could but to no avail. The darkness swallowed him, and everything faded to black.

"Oh my god! What happened! How did you survive?" Misty gasped.

"I found out later that Pikachu had learned thunderbolt and sent all of his power into the water. It was enough to dismay the Gyarados and to shock me conscious." Matthias answered, pride in his voice for his pokemon.

When Matthias got to the surface he found he was in the middle of the large pond and, with Pikachu's shock, he had energy enough to swim them both the rest of the way to the other side.

"We ran to Officer Jenny and she arrested most of the men but Giovanni had gotten away. Pikachu and I had formed such a bond that he decided he wanted to join me." Matthias finished setting his coffee down on the table and leaning back. Raichu had come over to him and he was petting his pokemon reassuringly. Their bond could be seen plain as day.

"Wow, Giovanni's been after _my_ Pikachu for years" Ash said.

"No doubt he has been trying to find a replacement for mine" Matthias conjectured.

They all just sat there staring at Matthias; taking in the amazing story he had just let them in on.

As they had been listening to the story the sky had bled into deep crimson and orange streaks that cast them all in a shade that can only be described as sunset.

"Well, I do hope you have enjoyed our story" Matthias said giving a smirk to his electric companion. "I wouldn't want to keep you all out after dark" he added slowly getting to his feet.

"Thank you so much for telling us" Misty said scooping up Togepi into her arms and looking into Matthias' deep chocolate eyes.

"Well it is such a pleasure to have such interested and passionate listeners" he replied his smile reaching all the way to his eyes.

Misty quickly became interested in her empty coffee cup to hide the blush that blossomed across her face.

"Well how could we not be interested with a story like that?" Brock mused cleaning up after Ash.

Matthias laughed, and shrugged as he signed the check, "I am glad I could entertain you all so".

Ash and Brock stood, while Misty stayed sitting getting a bit of whip cream off Togepi's face.

They both said their goodbyes for the night, and Misty looked up in time to see Matthias sitting back in his seat next to her. "And you, make sure you take care of yourself till the morning" he said laying his hand on top of hers. She simply nodded in response for lack of breath. Raichu came over to Misty and made sure she petted him goodbye. With that Matthias and Raichu waved and made their way back to the gym.

"Well you guys ready?" Brock asked as Misty and Ash both nodded.

On the walk back to the hotel Misty still wondered what had made the two so uncomfortable, but couldn't think of what it could have possibly been. It was especially hard to think with the feeling of Matthias' hand still lingering on hers. They made their way back to their rooms and said goodnight. Misty changed and collapsed into bed never letting Togepi out of her embrace, sleep came almost instantaneously.


	5. Chapter 5: Undertoe

[5]

~~~~~~~~~Undertoe/Dreams of the Currents Touch~~~~~~~~~

A white haze surrounded Misty's vision; she could tell she was lying on a bed, and one of her favorite songs, The Chemicals Between Us by Bush, was playing in the background. All of a sudden she felt a pair of lips on hers. She opened her eyes but all she could see was a head of black hair. Without warning she began to kiss back, so many feelings were coursing through her she thought she might explode. Her hand grabbed the black locks and held on tight. The heat from the other lips radiated all over her. She suspected that it was another one of her Ash dreams that she had periodically. The smooth lips, the passionate kiss, the black hair. But what was that strange feeling on her chest? It felt like a light tickle, through the kiss Misty's eyebrows furled. She ran her hands up Ash's back, but Ash was different, his back was harder and more defined. Ash seemed to of gotten heavier too, not that she was complaining, the extra weight on her made her feel safe and enveloped. She felt his hand slide around her back, holding her tight to him. Ash's tongue played havoc with her heart as it danced across her lips. Misty knew she shouldn't be doing this, but somehow she didn't care, it was a dream right? She might as well get the most out of it. Ash's other hand slid down her naked stomach and between her legs invoking feelings she couldn't imagine having in real life. Her eyes tightly shut as she bit her lip to stop from letting out whatever was building inside her throat.

Waves of shaking pleasure crashed through her, heat ran up and down her body as Ash's hand moved expertly against her.

"Please" she whimpered, "I want to be one, take me now" Misty was almost begging.

Usually she awoke before it could get this far, but tonight it seemed like it would never end. Ash's head simply nodded against hers and he pulled away from her face to see what he was doing. His hair was still in Misty's hands, and as he moved back she became more puzzled. Ash was moving pretty far away from her hands but she could still feel his hair sliding through her fingers. Her eye's opened slowly. She understood what the tickling feeling was; it was Matthias' hair as it splayed out on her bare flesh. She saw his pale beautiful face as he entered her, a million nerves exploded inside of her.

Misty bolted upward in her bed, the covers tangled around her body. She was breathing hard and covered in a glaze of sweat. The light hurt her eyes, and she felt strange. She could feel a dull ache where the covers were twisted most. Her face turned red as she realized why _she_ was aching. Misty's mind was turning in a million different directions. '_I cannot believe I just dreamed…oh my god' _she couldn't even bring herself to say it in her head.

Quickly grabbing the towels and soap she took a long shower, and tried to clear her head of the vivid images and feelings that still lingered. She toweled off, and got dressed in a hurry. Hopefully she wasn't too late.

"Where were you Misty?" Brock exclaimed.

"Sorry, I…um…woke up late" she lied quickly.

"Alright everyone's up, let's go to Matthias' gym right away" Ash said and started out.

"No!" Misty almost yelled. Both guys looked at her like she was a two-headed alien.

"Shouldn't we give our pokemon some more training, and figure out a plan to counter Matthias' pokemon?" she stuttered out as the thought of having to see the gym leader in person caused her knees to weaken.

"Great idea Misty!" Ash said.

The warm breeze danced around their faces as they made their way out to the rolling grass fields. Brock found that there were five logs in a circle already there, so he opened his bag and got ready to cook lunch. Ash had released all his pokemon and was now drilling them on battle techniques.

Misty laid, stretched out as the cool grass caressed her skin. She sighed in satisfaction, being out in the sun and watching Ash was so perfect. Misty took this time to make herself a plan. She would get Ash to love her, and on her birthday she'll declare her love to him. And he'll hug her tightly and even spin her around, they'll kiss and he will be with her forever. She sighed again at her daydream, '_it'll be so great' _she pictured.

Misty began to form her approach to this as Brock called out to them to eat. Ash shoveled down his food as his pokemon ate slowly.

"So Brock after lunch do you want to battle?" Misty asked, "You need to find a strategy to beat Lapras." She explained further.

After lunch the three battled and trained, laughing and having a great time. Running and tackling with their pokemon, they rolled around the hill. The sweet smell of summer grass surrounding them. Misty was rolling around with Starmie when Ash tripped over his Squirtle. He fell over, and landed straight on top of Misty. She gasped and looked up at him. Ash's eyes were wide, and he was blushing. Their faces were not but half a foot away from each other. Misty could quite clearly smell the shower gel Ash used in the hotel that morning, and it caused her heart to beat quite faster. The feeling of his body on hers, the pressure from his weight sent shivers down her spine and in her heart. They remained there, staring into each other's eyes for a few more seconds. This was her Ash, the boy she had fallen for the second she dragged him out of the lake, the young man that battled at her side countless times. Misty almost expected Ash to lean in further and kiss her as she stared at his lips. '_What do I do!' _she screamed in her head.

Misty was about to lean in closer before Ash jumped up and brushed himself off. Misty looked up at him blushing, embarrassed that he fell on her, and more so that she expected something that didn't happen.

"I…uh…sorry, are you alright?" Ash apologized quickly.

Yeah, yeah I'm fine" Misty replied still flustered, _'Why would I think he'd want to kiss me, I'm pathetic' _she thought sadly.

He extended his hand to help her up, she loved the feeling of her hand in his, but it was short lived as Ash let go as soon as she was on her feet.

They continued to battle until the blue sky was washed away in a sea of orange. The grass swayed softly in the breeze as Ash, Brock, and Misty sat on the logs relaxing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash noticed a pokemon running up the hill in their direction.

"Oh man, score!" he yelled out.

"What?" Brock and Misty looked at him in confusion.

"A wild Raichu" he jumped up excitedly, reaching for his belt.

"Ash, your pokemon are too tired to battle remember?" Misty notified him.

"That's ok, I have a few Ultra balls left, they should do the trick".

The Raichu was staring at Ash with its head tilted.

Ash stood his ground, twisted his hat back, and threw the Ultra ball at Raichu.

Realizing what was going on, the Raichu smiled, took measure, and knocked the ball flying back at Ash with its tail, which smacked him in the face.

"Ow, hey that hurt" Ash grumbled as he rubbed his face in defeat.

All of a sudden they heard an unmistakable voice that sent shivers down Misty's spine.

"Raichu, where are you? Get back here!" Matthias called as he came into sight.

His dark chocolate eyes flashed in delight when he saw the gang.

He jogged the rest of the way, his long choppy hair and silver chain bouncing in rhythm. Misty felt the small tug again as she watched his muscles flex under the tight black t-shirt he wore. He took a pokeball off the belt on his black slacks, and was about to return Raichu when Brock suggested all their pokemon should eat and interact.

"Sounds like an excellent idea" Matthias replied, he pointed at Raichu, "You're lucky" he said and chuckled as he released all his pokemon.

The rest of them followed suit, and Brock gave out his pokemon food that he made.

As Raichu, Zapdos, Haunter, Charizard, Lapras, and Rhydon ate with the other pokemon, Matthias took a seat next to Misty. She had to force the image of the dream out of her mind as his delicious scent crashed over her. This was only the second time he had ever been this close to her, and Misty took the chance to get a better look at him. His breathtakingly pale and flawless skin, angular features, his eyes the color of the deepest richest chocolate, and his arms lined with definition.

'_No I shouldn't do this' _she thought trying to resist the urge to look at his hands.

But the curiosity overcame her and she dropped her eyes. To her utter dismay they were exactly like in her dream, the long but strong looking fingers, the muscles in his hands that ran up and mingled with the deep define lines of muscle in his forearms. The same forearms that wrapped themselves around her, she shuddered at the memory of what he did in her dream.

"So what brings you out here?" Brock asked, "It's pretty far out of the way".

Matthias smiled at the question, "I come out here on occasion to think, and train."

Everyone laughed at the coincidence of choice. Togepi finished the last of her food and as soon as she saw Matthias sitting there came toddling over to him as fast as she could.

"Hello you, I do hope you're behaving better than the last couple times we've met?" Matthias said picking her up and held her in his lap. Togepi trilled as she settled in.

"Wow, I've never seen Togepi take to someone that fast, except for Misty" Brock exclaimed.

"Well then I guess it is quite an honor then is it not?" Matthias asked looking over at Misty.

"Uh huh" Misty replied nodding, she couldn't believe how calm and at ease Togepi was around him.

The sun was setting but there would still be plenty of light left for a while. An orange glow was cast upon and reflected off each of them. They talked with Matthias, eagerly wanting to get to know him better after their meeting at the coffee shop. They learned about all the adventures he had had striving to become the best gym leader and his aspirations of becoming one of the Elite Four. Some of his stories were unbelievably hilarious, others horrifying. At one point he was recounting the tale of how he got his legendary Zapdos. He was clutching onto an overgrown root dangling hundreds of feet above a river, a snarling Gyarados waited impatiently in the water. A stampeding herd of Rhydon shook and crumbled the ground around the root, his lifeline.

"There I was, gripping white knuckled to this measly root sticking out of the cliff. I honestly thought I was done. The ground was shaking terribly from the Rhydon, and the Gyarados looked starved."

Ash, Brock, and Misty were pulled to the edge of their seats.

"But how did you manage to escape?" Brock questioned.

"Well I swung to catch the edge of the cliff to pull myself up, but I missed it and began to fall" Matthias answered. The group gasped in fear.

"It was then that a Zapdos that had sensed Raichu's electricity came, and caught me on its back. After that we battled, and that is how Zapdos joined our little family" he finished.

Misty could just imagine Matthias in his glory, his defined muscles gleaming in the sun as he battled the legendary bird that had just saved his life.

Matthias took them on a roller coaster of emotion with every one of his stories; he had had the most amazing adventures.

"So how old are you anyway?" Ash asked after trying to guess in his head, he wanted to really size Matthias up as best he could.

"With all the adventure would you believe I have managed to live to be twenty one?" Matthias replied laughing lightly.

'_That's only three years older than me!' _her mind elated but she quickly felt her heart drop to the ground when realization sank in. '_Like Matthias would ever want to be with someone like me, he's so strong and mature, he probably doesn't even notice I exist'_.

The reality of it caused tears to well in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away without being seen.

He also asked them many questions, and they answered while reminiscing about all the memories. All the nostalgia brought back so many emotions to Misty, about Ash and all that they've been through. Although she was somewhat torn, she knew she loved Ash, but there were such strong feelings for Matthias coursing through her heart and soul.

Those thoughts were interrupted, however, by Matthias' Raichu. He had tapped Zapdos and was scampering over to Misty's Starmie who slunk and shook in fear.

"What's going on?" Misty wondered aloud, she was starting to get up to get Starmie when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see it was Matthias', and her legs grew weak with the feeling of his touch.

"Wait, just a moment" he spoke softly.

Raichu shook his head and said something to Starmie. She straightened up a bit listening.

Raichu cautiously got closer and said something else and put his arm on Starmie.

He led her over to Zapdos who looked down at Starmie and chirped something while landing on the ground. Zapdos wrapped its wings around the water pokemon.

"So that is what has been bothering Zapdos, she wanted to apologize" Matthias said.

Raichu stepped closer and patted the two on the head. And the trainers watched as the pokemon made up, and started a game of tag. They could tell though that Raichu made sure to be careful of his tail around Starmie.

Matthias turned to Misty, "Complete opposites uniting in friendship, astounding what can result when one cares for another is it not?" he inquired.

Misty's heart skipped, "Mhm" was all she could get out, while nodding.

"That's why I love being a pokemon breeder," Brock stated.


	6. Chapter 6: Tidal Wave

Hey everyone who's been reviewing, and checking in, I just wanted to apologize profusely for the long delay. It's been a crazy summer, but this is the longest chapter yet, so I hope it makes up for the wait. While I have the chance I just want to reiterate that **I do not own** any character except Matthias. Thank you all for reading, and with no further ado I give you Chapter 6: Tidal Wave.

-Anthony Shadows.

[6]

~~~~~~~~~Tidal Wave~~~~~~~~~

"So if you're up here, who's watching your gym?" Ash asked, taking a huge bite of apple.

"Oh, the gym's closed." Matthias said by-the-by.

"Wha!" Ash exclaimed sweat dropping and almost falling off the log.

"It's only for a week or so" Matthias reassured him chuckling.

Misty's heart leapt, '_Now I can have plenty of time with Ash before my birthday!_' her mind thought victoriously. She let her head wonder off to think about all the places Ash and her could go. They could visit all the shops in town, and she could impress Ash with a few outfits she would find. Especially if they went to the shore on her birthday, she would find the most gorgeous swimsuit and even Ash would have to pay attention then.

Matthias spoke with Brock and Ash while Misty plotted in her head, and soon the sun had dropped into the horizon, and they lit a fire in the pit. About an hour later Misty was still lost in thought when she was interrupted by the voice that could rival a sonata.

"You've been quite silent" Matthias said to her.

Misty blinked a couple of times and realized with a swooping fright that Ash and Brock had gone to their sleeping bags. Her heart beat wildly and her face flushed red. All thought of her planning about Ash were washed away.

"Oh, um…sorry I was just thinking." she stammered.

Matthias smiled a smile that could melt even Giovanni's evil heart and said, "I do hope _you're _not too tired, I was actually hoping to speak with you".

Misty felt the tug and was sure her heart was about to break out of her, "Me? About what?" she stuttered.

"Well it's just that I've realized that I have been speaking with Ash and Brock for a while about all sorts of adventures they have had, but I was in turn somewhat neglecting you, and not to be too forward but I was actually most interested in your side of the stories as well as your experiences in general." he explained his eyes locking straight onto hers.

The flickering orange light of the fire hid the red line that appeared across Misty's face. She couldn't help but gawk at how beautiful Matthias was in the glowing light. She couldn't believe he was so interested in what she had to say, his curious gaze caused her to melt in bliss and her heart fluttered like a field full of butterflies.

"Would you care for some hot chocolate?" he asked changing the subject as he pulled a thermos from his pack. Even though it was summer, Vermillion's climate was radically different from night to day. Misty nodded and thanked him as he poured her a cup, and then he poured one for himself. It was astounding how he managed to pull the perfect thing out of thin air. A moment of silence fell between the two.

"So how are your sisters?" he asked.

Misty's heart dropped, '_He wants to talk alone and he asks about my sisters!_' her mind sighed. '_Maybe he's just like every other guy'._

"Oh they're fine" she muttered.

"That's good…I have never really liked them, but I am glad to hear their doing well".

Misty's breath caught in her chest, and a broad smile spread across her face.

"So, why's that?" she inquired, trying to hide the smile in her voice.

"I do not know really, I guess it is just their arrogant…prissy personalities." He answered awkwardly, not wanting to upset her with his words.

"Yeah, they always picked on me growing up" Misty added.

"I cannot imagine how they were able to pick on someone as charming as yourself." He responded politely. Misty wasn't sure how to feel about anything, but she felt like she never wanted the night to end. She found some courage to try to get to know him better.

"So are you and Lt. Surge friends? Were you guys in the army together in something?" she asked hinting at his muscular physique.

Matthias laughed heartily at her question, a deep entrancing sound that much resembled music, "No, no. Nothing of the sort. I merely like to stay in shape." He replied. Misty was taken off guard by his quick perception of her hint.

"Anyway the military views me as…oh how did they put it. 'A whimsical daydreamer and a pen jockey'" he replied with an amused grin on his face.

"So you're a writer?" Misty asked quite interested, "That explains the story telling, so what sort of things do you write?"

"Oh many things" He answered, "Songs, poems, stories, and an attempt at a novel".

"Wow, so you write songs. Do you play an instrument?" she asked wanting to get as much from him as she could.

Matthias smiled, "Yes, I am able to play the piano and, fate willing, sing a bit".

Misty couldn't believe that this guy was real; he was so modest despite his looks and possibly his talent.  
Another silence fell as Misty took in as much as she could. The warm glow of the fire, and the sky filled to the brim with stars above them, the rolling hills with the soft almost silent sound of crashing water in the distance, and of course Matthias. Being basically alone with him was playing havoc with her heart, the fact that he wasn't interested in anything besides her was both amazing and completely terrifying, much like stage fright.

"So um, how long after Brock and Ash went to bed was I lost in thought?" she waited on the edge of her log cringing. Misty was worried about the answer but she had to ask.

"Not long actually, a minute or so." Matthias answered smirking.

Misty breathed a sigh of relief, '_thank god'_ she thought.

"So now that you have heard my story, I am very interested to hear yours." he said sitting closer to her on the log his scent enveloping her once more.

She gulped and took a deep breath.

"You don't have to tell me if it's too personal" Matthias said taking a metaphorical step back, his eyes shone with concern, not wanting to upset her.

"No, it's fine. Really, I just have never told my story to someone" Misty replied, she was telling the truth in a way, mostly it was the fact that Matthias' full attention was upon her. His unyielding chocolate eyes focused solely on her.

Nevertheless she began, a bit shakily at first, but soon in she forgot her self-consciousness and excitedly told her side of the story.

As enveloped as she was, she still watched Matthias as he laughed and ran his hand through his hair. Misty retold almost every detail of her journey, all the good times, and bad; and all the old feelings swept her away as the fire crackled in the background.

She remembered how she felt the first time she saw Ash, and all the times she just watched him battle from the sidelines and wished she could be at his side. But opening the floodgate to all those old emotions again Misty couldn't help but notice something. It was so strange but even though she had just met him a few days beforehand the tugs and butterflies were stronger when Matthias was the one invoking them.

Although even sitting there alone with him, and him listening intently on her every word she still felt the sting of knowing he would never be interested in a girl like her. The deep rumbling of his laughter, the small laugh lines in his face as he smiled, _'God he is so mature, a real man' _Misty thought. She felt so insignificant, like he viewed her as an ant. But she continued with the story anyway, fighting back those thoughts, as Matthias stoked the fire.

But the sad thoughts were soon replaced with sad feelings as she started to see how often Ash blew her off, and she became even more downtrodden.

Misty paused when she got to the part about suggesting to go to the shore when they first had gotten to the city. She had told Matthias their entire adventure, from Sabrina turning them into dolls, to Ash leaving for awhile to go onto other regions, all the way to Ash returning and beating the Elite Four, and she couldn't get rid of the nagging pain of seeing how Ash had never really noticed her in the way she wanted.

'_Well now that he's beaten the Elite Four he'll slow down and see me for who I am and how much I care for him' _she tried to rationalize to herself.

"Misty, is something bothering you?" the perfect voice spoke.

She hadn't realized she'd been silent for another minute; she looked up at him, not in surprise but in sadness. Misty guessed she looked pretty bad judging that even Matthias was taken off guard. His eyes widened as they met her troubled face.  
There wasn't any more use in trying to hide her worry for Ash's feelings, she knew Matthias could clearly tell she was upset.

She sighed deeply, "It's just so hard" her small voice croaked. Misty buried her head in her hands to hide the hurt in her expression.

"You mean to love someone, and not knowing if they even know that you exist?" Matthias asked softly, and intuitively.

Misty looked up quickly, her lip trembled and she had to fight back the tears that threatened to betray her. She nodded slowly not even sure if she was just talking about Ash. Her arms were shaking a bit, even though it was very warm near the fire. Misty tried to force them to stop, not wanting to make more of a fool out of herself.

"I do not want to speak as if I know you all, but I have noticed something between you and Ash" Matthias explained. "I see that you have strong feelings towards him, that he just tends to shrug off. Misty I can see the pain every time he does it" he placed his hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

The warmth from his smooth yet strong hand flowed through her entire body, but somehow it couldn't extinguish the anguish inside of her.

Misty let a sob escape from her body, and stared at the grass beneath her too embarrassed to look at the man next to her. She forced herself not to cry, but small tears welled up.

Matthias let out a pained sigh, "I wish there was something I could do to help you Misty, I really do," he said earnestly his voice held a pang of painful helplessness.

"I'm not sure if Ash feels the same way you do, or if he'll ever see the light and realize the miraculous gift that your love is." Matthias said, gently lifting her face up from under her chin. Her eyes met their dark chocolate counterpart as her face was brought closer to his.

"All I do know is, I'd hate to see it rain in those perfect blue eyes." he spoke softly, leaning in even closer. He stared into her eyes for a moment his lips slightly parted brushing against hers.

"Matth…ias" Misty breathed and before she knew what had happened her lips were pressed against his.

It was a million times better than her dream could ever create, better than what her mind had begged for in his arms the day before. Heat barreled from his lips into hers and crashed in waves of pleasure from her mouth all the way to her toes.

Her hand snaked up and wrapped itself in Matthias' black hair.

His hand still held her chin lightly, and he pulled her lips tighter to him. His touch was more than she could have ever imagined, she shuddered against him as the tender yet unyielding grasp of his hand and the enveloping gentle embrace of his fingers under her chin cradled her in a feeling of pure bliss.

A new and never before experienced feeling of ecstasy exploded in her as his tongue met hers lightly, teasingly. Her tongue, however, forcefully met his. She pulled herself tighter against him and wrapped her other arm around his neck. She was almost crying it felt so good, every muscle in her body ached to hold him tighter, she didn't know how much longer her body could take it but she never wanted it to stop.

But as quickly as it had come the passionate kiss ended. Misty stared into Matthias's eyes with a look of pure longing and genuine devotion.

Matthias looked down, his broad shoulders slumped, "I apologize for my actions Misty" he said in an almost inhuman way.

Her heart dropped, and she felt like her lungs were collapsing and the world around her began to spin, "But I'm the one who…" she started to say in confusion.

"I know, but you love Ash, and not to mention that we have just really met. That was definitely the wrong way to help".

"But I…" Misty started to say softly, feeling her heart stretch and begin to tear.

Matthias stood up and collected his pokeballs, "I should leave before I do anymore damage" he took Misty's hand in his, "I am truly sorry, I never meant to take advantage of your feelings, I just couldn't see you like that anymore, but I was wrong" he said, "Maybe it was a mistake to have become involved at all" he sighed and walked back towards town, her heart finally tore itself apart trying to follow him.

Misty just sat there in shock, no idea in the slightest how to feel. What felt like billions of words and emotions wanted to break free from her.

"I've had feelings for you since the first time I saw you." she said to the ground pointlessly for Matthias was already almost out of sight. A sob escaped her throat and she wrapped her arms around herself as she started to shake out of embarrassment for her stupidity.

"God I'm such an idiot!" she cried, as the tears slid down her cheeks.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move. Looking in that direction she saw Raichu staring at her; his head cocked to the side curiously. They stared at each other for a moment before Raichu tore off towards town and his trainer.

"_Way to go Misty, you took a good thing and ruined it, like always. I knew he would never want to be with someone like me"_ her mind cried as she looked up at the star covered sky, but with a different feeling now that he was gone. The kiss deeply confused her, about Matthias' feelings and hers. Misty felt like her heart was being torn in two different directions. One led to town and the mesmerizing gym leader, the other led across the fire to the boy sleeping in the red sleeping bag, the one who she'd known for years.

"Like it matters now" she thought aloud, "At least it's an easy choice" Misty mused as she numbly slid into her sleeping bag, and closing her eyes. She forced away the lingering feelings of Matthias' soft warm lips against hers, as she drifted into painless unreality.


	7. Chapter 7: River Rapids

**Hello everyone, **

**I wanted to apologize with every fiber in my little black heart about the delay, AP English is fun, but time killing. **

**And if anyone, (crosses fingers) likes the story enough to do some fanart, I would officially take a bullet for you :D**

**So with no further ado I give you Chapter 7: River Rapids**

(I do not own any character aside from Matthias)

**-Anthony Shadows**

[7]

~~~~~~~~~River Rapids/Distanced Storm~~~~~~~~~

The morning light burst through Misty's eye lids. She opened them, blinking the blurry sleep away. Sitting up and stretching she looked over at the pink and orange sunrise. The small pink speckles of light danced across the fabric of her sleeping bag. Sitting back on her palms a completely involuntary wish overcame her. She wished that Matthias was there next to her, holding her close to him and never letting go.

Misty pushed the hope filled feeling aside with grief, her heart beat painfully at his absence. Ash and Brock were sitting over a bowl of food, laughing over something stupid. Ash heard her stir and looked over "Hey Misty, you're finally up." he said as he scooped some more food into his bowl. "Where'd Matthias go?"

Misty tried her best to hide the pain in her eyes, "Oh… he left last night, he had to be in town early or something." she lied quickly looking toward the ground.

"Ha, that's another cool guy you chased away Misty" Ash chuckled.

His words cut deeply into her chest. Misty stepped out her sleeping bag and turned to fold her sleeping bag up while a silent tear slid down her cheek.

"So how late were you two up?" Brock asked teasingly.

"Well unlike you guys _I _don't have a bedtime" she countered, she knew they both were just kidding around but they had no sense of timing.

"Did you find out anymore about Matthias?" Ash asked oblivious to her hurt.

Misty felt her stomach drop into an abyss, "Not anymore than you guys did." she replied, her voice higher than normal. She tossed her bag aside.

"Well come get some breakfast" Brock told her, secretly he wondered what was off about her behavior.

The wind blew across the grassy hill and around the gang as they ate in silence. Brock could tell there was something different with Misty's replies, but didn't know what it could be.

Misty watched Ash as he started up a conversation with Brock. She knew she loved him, and would be happy to spend the rest of her life with him; but she'd always wonder what could have been with Matthias. Misty shook her head; it didn't matter now she would just have to forget about him. She begrudgingly pushed all thoughts of the dark gym leader out of her mind as she finished her breakfast. It helped and she began to feel a minute bit better, though the empty feeling inside her wouldn't leave.

"So what do you guys want to do today?" Misty asked wanting something to distract her from her own mind.

"We could go into town and see what shops they have; your birthday's tomorrow isn't it?" Brock asked.

Misty had completely forgot, "Yeah, it is" she replied with some excitement in her voice. Misty loved her birthday, it was probably due to the fact that it was the one day that was all about her, and her sisters couldn't take it away from her. One day where people paid attention to her, and not her sisters, and gave _her _things for a change. Brock's reminder was just the thing she needed.

Misty didn't notice Ash's eyes widen, with all the battling and training he had completely forgot.

"Yeah, and it'll give us something to do while the gyms closed" Ash added trying to sound casual.

"Sound great!" Misty said, and with that they packed up and made their way to town.

They were walking along the small trail that led from the hills into town when all of a sudden they heard a small noise. Looking down, Ash noticed that Pikachu was a paler yellow than usual and random static buzzed from his cheeks.

"Oh man Pikachu looks pretty sick" Brock commented.

"Do you think we should take him to the pokemon center?" Ash asked unsure.

Misty really wanted to go into town, but Pikachu's health came first.

"Of course we should!" she yelled, scooping the pokemon up as she led the way.

She could still feel the empty pain inside from Matthias as she walked, it was driving her crazy. She had to do something, and decided she needed some help.

'_This is a bad idea, but what choice do I have?' _she argued in her head as her feet crunched softly on the trail.

Under the trees she still couldn't shake the feeling of Matthias' lips on hers, she knew exactly how she felt about Matthias and Ash but the problem was her heart was now torn in two different directions and she had no idea which way to travel. As the tree line broke Misty held up her hand to block the glaring sun, and Ash squinted to make out the silhouette of the Vermillion pokecenter. The doors slid open and the cool air conditioned breeze rushed to meet them.

"Hi! What can I do for you all today?" Nurse Joy pepped in her normal demeanor.

"My Pikachu's kinda sick" Ash said, taking Pikachu from Misty and putting him on the little stretcher.

"Ah, he's just a little under the weather" Joy said after examining his cheeks, "He'll be good as new after a long rest".

Misty glanced pensively over at the phones dreading the phone call she would have to make.

"Um, I have to make a phone call" she said timidly and ran off to the phones.

"What's up with her?" Ash asked watching her hurry off.

"I dunno, she's been acting strange ever since this morning" Brock said, then snapped his fingers, "It's probably because her birthday is tomorrow" he explained.

"Yeah that's probably it" Ash said half distracted with finding the nearest magazine rack.

Misty made sure to pick a phone away from the others. She looked around, timidly making sure no one could see or hear her. She looked at the phone and tentatively reached out to begrudgingly punch in the old familiar number, she made contact with the keypad as if it were a monster ready to attack.

"Dialing" the high pitched computer voice sounded.

'_Oh god, what am I doing?' _Misty asked herself.

The quick pulse of the dialing tone matched the beat of her heart as she tugged and fiddled with the fabric of her shirt, looking down.

The screen kicked on, "Like Hello?" her sister Daisy said sweeping her blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Hey Daisy…do you have a second? I kinda need your help" Misty spoke softly; Daisy wasn't really the sister to talk to but Misty didn't want to get her mad when she needed the help.

"Omg is like something wrong Misty?" Daisy asked, obviously surprised by the call.

"Um well kind of" she answered solemnly.

"Hey, like who's on the phone?" Misty's other sister Lily appeared on screen, her pink hair was unmistakable.

'_Oh great, this is even worse' _Misty thought to herself dejected.

Her three sisters always gave her trouble, and were never the rare caring sisters some girls are lucky to have. Daisy had her moments, but Lily was simply outright vindictive. Growing up Lily was the one who picked her on her most, went too far, or never knew when enough was enough. Misty couldn't believe she was still going through with this, but she didn't see any other way.

"Misty's on the phone, she's like upset about something" Daisy explained,

"So what's up Misty?" she asked.

Misty took a short breath in, "Well, um, you guys know how I feel about Ash, and everything?"

"Like yeah! You never shut up about the kid" Daisy replied.

"Well, it's just, I met that new gym leader Matthias" Misty continued.

Both sisters gave a squeal of excitement, "Like OMG is he not like such the hottie? I mean it's not even fair!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yeah, I guess" she mumbled, tugging on the end of her shirt nervously.

'_How am I ever going to get through this! Why does talking to my sisters always make me a stumbling idiot!' _her mind yelled as she thought about what a disaster this would be.

"Well like what's the problem?"

Misty took a staggered breath in; she had nowhere else to turn.

"It's just that I, well…it feels like my heart is being pulled in two different directions and I don't know how to feel anymore!" she blurted quickly.

"It's so, I mean I know I love Ash, and it's like, well Matthias, he camped out with us while we were training our pokemon and stuff" her leg bounced nervously and she twisted her foot uncomfortably.

"Wait he camped, with you guys?" Lily asked disbelievingly.

"Huh? Oh yeah. And we were by the fire talking with him about our adventures, and he…um…he was just so close, and then he…" Misty paused, the words caught in her throat. She forced herself on painfully.

"He, he kissed me, and I just…"

"Whoa, hold the phone! You're saying Matthias kissed _you_?" Daisy interrupted.

"Yeah it was kinda…"

She was cut short as her sisters broke into cackling fits of laughter.

"What are you guys laughing at!" she yelled, the old familiar anger boiling up within her at the shock of their response.

"Ok look, Misty? Running away to be a pokemon master, just to show us up, is one thing. But like lying about kissing a total hottie like Matthias is just wrong!" Daisy said almost jealously.

"But I'm not lying!" Misty yelled. She could feel her face turning red as her grip tightened on her shorts. The embarrassment from her desperation for help killed her.

"I don't know what to do, I'm seriously asking for your help!" tears began to form in her eyes as her heart pounded in her ears.

"Cha right Misty! Like Matthias would be interested in someone like _you_, a little _runt_" Lily said, "When he could just as easily come over here and be with one of us. If you really need help you should stop wasting our time with made up stories"

The old nickname stung, it stung so very deep.

"I'm really confused and it hurts, please you have to believe me!" Misty cried out, the tears about to spill over, desperate for the end of her heartache.

"Like how could you expect us to ever believe something like that?" Daisy asked mockingly, but at the same time genuinely curious.

"Oh what, you're gunna like cry because your little trick didn't work?" Lily cut in.

"No!" Misty said like an immature child, like she would have so many years ago. But it was too late, "It's not a trick!" she cried out not caring anymore if anyone heard her.

"I'm being serious, this isn't a joke! I need your help I don't know what to do, you're my sisters!" he voice cracked as she pounded her fists on her knees.

"Look Misty, It's not going to work, what's _really _wrong?"

"That is what's wrong! I'm being torn in two and it hurts so much! Please!" Misty pulled her knees to her chest on the chair.

"Misty! We know that's like not the real reason, seriously you can tell us what it is" Daisy said.

"But…" Misty started to cry harder as the walls closed in around her, "please" she croaked shivering.

"Look if you don't need help with anything real we're kinda busy so…" Lily began to say.

Just then Misty's third sister Violet walked into the room.

"What's going on you guys?" she asked.

"Misty's on the phone and she's like making up a story about how Matthias, that cute gym leader, kissed her. It's so pathetic" Lily said.

"Yeah, maybe _you_ should talk to her" Daisy added.

Violet appeared on the screen to see Misty in tears holding herself, collecting all her fibers against the slightest breeze that threatened to tear them away. Her eyes were red from tears and lost. She looked as though someone had died. Misty's fists were balled up grasping at the fabric of her shirt, her arms and legs trembled visibly.

Violet's eyes widened, "Oh my god, Misty!"

Misty's sister Violet always cared for her, in a twisted way she was the one who picked on Misty the least. She always did have a soft spot for her little sister.

'_She'll believe me' _Misty thought hopefully. _'God if she doesn't I don't know what I'm going to do'_.

"Violet you have to hear me out" she started desperately, at her wits end.

"Little sis" Violet said softly, Misty immediately her sister her attention.

"Look, even if Matthias did kiss you," she started disbelievingly, "You know Ash is really cute in his own…different way. You guys have been through so much, I saw the look in your eyes as you watched him battle. And just because you're losing your patience you shouldn't just go with the next guy that comes along." She explained, though it was clear Violet didn't believe it, and was just humoring her.

"Misty, you should be happy and appreciate what you have. You shouldn't feel like you have to make up stories to us, or anyone else. So just fall into Ash's arms and be happy that you have him. Never feel like you have to make up a story or lie about something to make yourself feel better about what people think of you. Kay little sis?"

Misty was eradicated. Everything dropped into non-existence as her heart stopped in her chest. She just nodded her head, like a wooden dummy, tears still rolling down her face.

"Alright little sis, I really gotta go, _Take Care ok?_"

The screen went blank.

Misty laid her head on her knees and cried silently, forcing out all her emotion.

Matthias sighed deeply from behind his closed eyes; the sunlight casting a soft orange light onto his eyelids. He was laid out on a long lawn chair in a clearing behind his gym. The warm summer sun danced across his bare chest as the cool wind rippled across his black shorts. Even lying there, his hands behind his head, the perfect weather around him, he still couldn't settle in.

"I really messed up terribly" he sighed and opened his eyes. The events of last night weighed heavily on his mind; it was as if they were a monstrous anchor pulling him deeper and deeper into the pitch black depth of an ocean.

"I can not believe I acted so rudely" he said to himself, "'_Shouldn't have gotten involved at all_' what the hell was I thinking!" He put a hand to his forehead. But it wasn't enough to quell the guilt and frustration inside of him; he sat up and buried his head in his hands, his hair falling to engulf the last bit of sunlight.

"What is the matter with me! After all that I just leave her there, what kind of disgusting sniveling coward am I!" he burst sending the drink tray next to him flying with his fist. "How could I do that?" he groaned, taking a few deep breaths to compose himself.

"I meant because I could've hurt her…I guess I did. She probably hates me now, though I don't blame her." Matthias scoffed "I might as well forget about seeing her again, now that I have damaged everything beyond repair".

Hearing the tray crash into the ground Raichu wandered into the yard and stopped a couple yards short of Matthias to look at him. Matthias looked over at the pokemon quickly and pulled his shirt back on.

"Don't look at me like that, I know that I screwed up" he said.

Raichu shook his head and pressed forward almost urgently.

"What is the matter then?" he asked.

"Rai, Raichu, Rai Rai" Raichu said.

Over the many years Matthias had learned almost all of Raichu's language, and Raichu had learned his.

"You saw Misty? When? After I left?" he asked, now immensely attentive.

Raichu nodded.

"Well what happened, what did she do?" he sat up straight.

"Rai, chu Rai, Raichu" Raichu said moving his paws exuberantly.

"She was crying?" Matthias replied staggered, ashamed "I knew that I was out of line but I must have hurt her more than I thought. I did not mean to act so reckless. There was just something about her, I cannot explain."

He sat all the way up now, and ran a hand through his hair pensively.

"My god, I should find her and apologize" but he only sighed and buried his head in his hands once more.

"No, after what I did I am _sure_ she never wants to see me again."

Raichu just shrugged and jumped up next to comfort his trainer.


	8. Chapter 8: Familiar Waters

[8]

~~~~~~~~~Familiar Waters~~~~~~~~~

Misty sat there, her whole body numb. She had calmed herself down somewhat. She had expected her sisters to react that way, but she was wrong to think she could handle it. Very wrong. After being calm for awhile her thoughts became clearer and she could breathe steadily

Misty realized she did get the advice she wanted after all.

'_Maybe Violet is right, I know how close Ash and I are. I should stick to what I know'_.

The thought seemed to help, and she began to feel exponentially better.

She thought about Ash, and all the time's they'd laughed till they cried. The tournaments when she could see the fire in his eyes as he battled. All the campfires they had sat around and how, almost every night, the soft romantic light glowed on Ash perfectly. All the nights sleeping in their sleeping bags, no more than a yard away from each other. Some nights Misty would just lie there in her sleeping bag under the stars and just look over at Ash while he slept, begging those stars for him to love her. She thought about all the close and almost awkward moments, and the feel of his touch as she dragged him around. Feeling his hand in hers was really the only reason she had dragged him so often. All the adventures they had been through, maybe she could make this work, maybe she could be happy with the life she was a part of now. She knew he needed her, even if he didn't. And she knew he loved her, and she would get him to realize it.

The numbness faded and she clumsily got to her feet. It felt as if something had died, but now there was a small new hope to replace it. Pikachu still had not returned from Nurse Joy's care so Misty plopped down on the sofa next to Ash, his warmth causing her cheeks to flush. Ash looked nervous though, his leg bounced constantly, and he continued to look to the recovery room door.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, it's not like he hasn't been through worse" Brock said consolingly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Ash sighed halfheartedly.

"No he _is_ right!" Misty yelled, knowing exactly what to do to get Ash out of the slump.

She gave him a good punch and yelled "You and Pikachu have been together forever, you know he's fine!"

Ash rubbed the side of his head and smiled, "Yeah you're right Misty" he said confidently.

"Of course I am!" she replied folding her arms across her chest.

She always knew how to bring out the best in Ash. And though she didn't want to say it her and Ash had been together just as long. Misty sighed, even after all these years his smile could make her feel better about anything.

The clock on the wall wound down, and the soft orange sunset danced through the windows. Finally the door opened and Nurse Joy walked over.

"Is Pikachu ok?" Ash asked jumping up.

"Oh he'll be just fine, it was only a little static bug. Though he's sleeping now, if you all would like to spend the night you're welcome to it" she said.

"Um what do you guys want to do?" Ash asked looking back at his two friends.

"I say we get some food and just stay here" Misty said, as her stomach rumbled.

"Yeah, I'm starved" Brock agreed, as if it were new for him to be hungry.

"Well I'll being out some pillows and blankets then" Nurse Joy said and walked into the back.

"So what are we eating?" Brock asked eagerly rubbing his hands together.

"Are girls and food all you ever think about?" Misty chided him.

Ash laughed and Brock threw his backpack at him, as Misty decided to sneak off and order some pizza. She dialed the phone, and started to give the guy their order. As Misty was finishing the order and thanking the man a loud crash sounded from the lobby. She hung up and nervously made her way back towards Ash and Brock. Rounding the corner back into the main lobby she saw Ash had leapt up onto Brock, who was running around yelling and flailing.

"Get it off me, get it off!" he cried scrambling frantically.

Misty couldn't help but to laugh, it started out as a light giggle but more and more it ended in a snorting for air, rolling on the ground laugh. They hadn't had that kind of laid back time in a while. About twenty minutes later the pizza came. Misty, trying to control the laughter that was about to burst from her, paid.

"Thank you" she managed to snort out.

She had purposely left soda out of her order, but Nurse Joy came out with two huge liters in each arm. Misty looked at the sugar and caffeinated time bombs in horror; she knew what Ash and Brock would become. They sat on the couches and ate the slices greedily while telling jokes and remembering all the hilarious stories of their life together. More than once Misty laughed so hard she had to put her head on Ash's shoulder for support. It was a great time her, her best friends, and her Ash. They were together like they used to be and Ash was shining. After much soda consumption Brock and Ash had thrown off their shirts and grabbed the sofa cushions yelling to Misty "We who are about to die salute you!"

They proceeded to fight "to the death" for her, which after ten unbearably hilarious minuets Ash knocked Brock down with a sneak attack.

"Ah-ha! My queen I have achieved victory!" Ash shouted scooping her up and marching around with her squirming in his arms. She fought, but not too hard. The feeling of his warm bare skin against her arms sent her mind spinning. His boyish muscles were comforting as they cradled her.

Ash put her down to get another piece of pizza and Brock told another story as they collapsed on the sofas.

"Aha, do you remember when, ahaha, when Ash was in the middle of the league championship and his, his pants got burnt off!" Brock snorted as they finished off the remaining slices.

"Shut up!" Ash said and took a flying leap onto Brock, who kept laughing and yelling "In front of ten thousand people!"

They laughed and roughhoused almost all night, it was one of the best times Misty remembered having in quite some time. They had fun, like they used to. There was no mention of Matthias or badges, gym battles, or responsibilities, just time with friends. Her eyes closed as she fell asleep leaning on Ash, and when they did they closed on a thousand nights of history.


	9. Chapter 9: Rebirth of the Current

[9]

~~~~~~~~~Rebirth of the Current~~~~~~~~~

Misty was walking through a thick forest, clouds and trees darkened the sky above her. The woods did have a certain admitable beauty in them, yet something about it made Misty very uneasy. The ground crunched under her feet as she hiked on through the winding path, although the further she went the darker the clouds became and the trees seemed to swallow up the already narrow pathway. Soon it became difficult to see well and Misty stumbled over a zigzagged root reaching from the earth almost as if to grasp at her. As she regained her balance Misty heard a snap of a branch and a rustle of dry leaves in the brush behind her. She instinctively reached for her belt with her pokeballs but her pokemon weren't there. The hair on the back of her neck stood rigid and her heart began to pound. She immediately quickened her pace. There was another rustling off to her left and the echoing sounds of snapping twigs. She began to jog, narrowly missing a fallen tree. The noises continued, each time sounding out louder and closer than the last, and without warning an inhuman snarl ripped through the darkness and pierced her with terror. A switch flipped inside her head and she ran. Misty sprinted down the path, leaves and branches lashing out at her, scourging her flesh. The beasts snarl rang in her ears, she couldn't see the monster but that didn't matter. Breathing heavily she crashed through the underbrush, only to be caught in the thorny branches of a blooming rosebush. Oddly she felt no pain, and the enveloping embrace was almost comforting but soon the ground began to quake behind her and Misty tore herself away. As she raced through the forest she could hear thunder in the distance. Her lungs were beginning to fail her in a burning pain, and Misty had no idea how much longer she would be able to continue to run. The ground started to slope downward and the monstrous beast was getting ever closer. Soon the ground became even steeper and Misty lost her footing and nearly fell many times. She looked to the path ahead of her once more as an enormous bolt of lightning scorched across the sky, exploding light through the trees, illuminating the forest around her. Misty saw with horror a huge ravine just feet ahead of her, there was no time to react. The world faded to dark once more and Misty took a breath inward to scream, frantically trying to stop. She was beginning to fall when another streak of lighting sliced through the sky and she was able to see a root growing out of the side of the incline. As she tumbled downward she grasped for it, managing to hold on. She yelped when her bodyweight tore down on her arm. She could feel the muscles in her arm screaming out, she held on for awhile longer sobbing into the darkness before slipping and falling into the oblivion.

Misty gasped and bolted upright, her eyes opening to the dark pokecenter. The pizza boxes and cups lay scattered around the table and floor as remnants of last night's events. Suddenly the sofa under her shifted and she realized that she had fallen asleep next to Ash.

"Oh I'm so sorry" she started to apologize, a blush already beginning to flood her cheeks.

Ash opened his eyes slowly, blinking at her for a moment, "You ok Misty?" he asked his voice minutely raspy.

Breathing hard she replied "Yeah, I'm ok".

"Are you sure?" he replied, seeming actually worried.

"Yeah, it was just a bad dream" she answered. It was relatively warm in the pokecenter yet she was shivering fiercely.

"Here" Ash said compassionately and lifted up the blanket beside him. Misty's mind whirled, and she tentatively slid under her body pressing against his.

He laid the blanket over her and very slowly, almost nervously Misty thought, laid his arm over her. She could feel the heat from his body on her back and in the dark she knew she was blushing. The comforting weight from his arm cradled her, she felt safe there, like nothing mattered. Being held by Ash in that moment she couldn't believe how surreal it all was.

'_He never acts like this! Maybe he is finally coming around?_'

The new hope burst like fire in her heart as Ash, who had fallen asleep, fully embraced her with his arms as if she were a stuffed animal.

'_Oh my god!_' her head screamed with delight. She settled in against him and slowly drifted off to sleep imagining how things might be different from now on.

The morning light glittered across her sight, and Misty opened them slowly. There was an excitement in her that only a birthday could instill. That euphoric indescribable felling that you get when you know it's _your_ day. Even more her breath caught in her chest when realized that Ash was holding her in his arms still. She could hear his soft breathing and feel his chest rise and fall against her. Maybe it would be a happy birthday after all. The soft scent of his body spray lingered almost intoxicating her. She felt the whirling torrent of fluttering butterflies in her body. Ash, the Ash that she longed for was holding her, pulling her close to him.

'_Things might actually be different now_' she thought her head swimming in the possibilities.

She shifted slowly, debating on whether or not to get up when Ash stirred. He yawned and stretched and seemed confused when his arm softly bumped into her. He looked down at her, and their eyes met. Misty waited for his dismissal, the chiding remark, or the joke at her expense; she got herself ready to yell at him for breathing on her, the words pressing against her throat. But it never came, his look never changed.

"You feel better?" he asked, leaning on his elbow.

Misty rolled over on the sofa to face him, "Yeah, better…thanks" she replied.

Laying on the sofa, the sun playing over them in warm shapes, Misty couldn't believe that Ash was being so nice, this wasn't like him at all but she couldn't care less. Her heart was fluttering and she could tell that the awkward feelings from Ash really meant something. She yawned and stretched making sure to look up at the ceiling; she wondered what she should do now.

"Hey Misty?" Ash said in a way that he hadn't in a very long time. His tone flooded her heart with memories and emotions of the past. She turned to find he was even closer than before, her breath ceased.

"Hm?" she replied, scared of what might happen if she moved even an inch.

Ash almost seemed like he wanted to say something, his eyebrows furled and his lips pursed but the look faded,

"I'm glad" he replied sitting up.

Misty slid off the sofa and went digging through her bag not wanting Ash to see her blushing. Ash went off to shower and she kept herself busy picking up the cups and boxes, tossing them in a big trash bag. Brock snored on like a chainsaw, rolling a few times and muttering about saving Nurse Joy from Team Rocket. Misty chuckled to herself and finished cleaning; she grabbed her things to switch places with Ash. He came out in his normal black t-shirt and jeans toweling off his hair, they exchanged a bashful glance at each other as they passed.

The hot water was like heaven, good thing Ash had saved her some.

He was really being considerate, '_Usually he'd use it all just to play some joke on me_' she thought. '_But maybe now those days are over with, and Ash is different_'.

She got dressed and went back to the lobby, Brock as up and fully awake due to the fact that Nurse Joy was standing there holding Pikachu. She was wearing Chansey pajamas, but her hair was done the same as it always was.

"Good morning Misty" Nurse Joy beamed.

"Morning" she answered giving a small smile, and quietly slipping past the drooling Brock to sit on the sofa.

"So is Pikachu alright now?" Ash asked unsurely.

"Of course, He's just fine now and ready to go" Nurse Joy told him handing Pikachu over, "You guys need anything else?" she asked. That group thanked her but shook their heads. She left to go get ready and open the doors.

"Alright I'm hitting the showers" Brock said and walked down the hall.

"So Misty what do you want to do today?" Ash asked leaning back on the sofa.

"Huh?" Misty said, completely taken off guard that he'd even asked.

"Um, what do you feel like doing today?" he repeated.

Misty had just opened her mouth to answer when a high pitched feminine shriek tore through the center. Nurse Joy came running out with Chansey by her side.

"What's going on, is someone hurt?" she said in full emergency mode.

Ash and Misty sweat dropped, "That's, uh, Brock" Ash explained.

"I think we may have used all the hot water" Misty added.

Joy giggled lightly and went back to work "Glad everyone was ok".

Misty and Ash went to check on Brock, who was clad only in a towel and crumpled over on the floor of the bathroom mumbling about "his boys" running away.

An hour later they stood outside the pokecenter, the sun had just begun to rise into the middle of the sky. Misty shouldered her bag and the three set off for town.

"I'm glad you're ok now Pikachu" Ash said patting Pikachu, who had decided to make Misty carry him around, on the head. He did this from time to time and even though she was a water trainer Misty couldn't help but be fond of the little electric rodent.

"You too Misty" Ash added chuckling.

Misty smirked to try and hide her gasp as Brock wondered what he had missed.

The warm afternoon sun shone down over the town that was bustling with people.

Misty's eyes lit up, "Look at all the shops!" she exclaimed.

Vermillion had definitely lived up to its astounding reputation. The gang made their way up the street while Misty plotted on how to keep Ash's newfound attention. She watched him as they walked, the way he laughed when Brock ran after every bikini clad woman, the amusing carefree way he twisted his hat to the side put a smile on her face that seemed like it wouldn't ever fade. There were people entering and exiting the shops all the way down to the end of the street.

"So where do you guys want to go first?" Misty asked, excitement bursting from her voice.

Brock and Ash looked at each other, "Breakfast" they replied simultaneously.

Misty rolled her eyes as they sat at a booth near the window in a nearby restaurant.

The restaurant was, once more, another that they had all eaten at before. However half the establishment was now being remodeled. As the boys mulled over the menu gruffly, Misty observed the work in progress. The side they were seated in had already been finished but the new scent of change drew its way from the opaque tarp covered section of the place. Misty could smell the freshly cut timber and the brand new leather, and she watched the small swirls of white dust made by the servers as they passed back and forth. Her mind wandered back to where she sat her cheek resting on her palm. Though she found herself missing the old style of the restaurant, she had to admit that the new changes were very much needed and the place was so much more encompassing.

"Do you guys always have to think about food?" she sighed, but it was a moot point.

The waitress came over and regretted doing so as the boys ordered half the menu.

"And how about you?" she asked Misty almost nervously.

"Just coffee, two creams and two sugars please" Misty replied, she was much too busy plotting to be hungry. Usually Brock and Ash would sit on the same side but, to Misty's surprise, Ash had slid in next to her. About five minutes after the waitress came with drinks Ash plopped his head down on her shoulder, "Oh man I had too much sugar last night" he groaned.

Misty laughed and agreed, trying with all her might to keep her breathing steady and prayed silently that he didn't notice her heart pounding. The food came and the guys ate like they were starving.

"Alright, so _now_ what do you guys want to do?" she asked again.

"Well it's up to you" Brock said, "It's your day today".

He took a sugar packet and slid it over to her proudly, "Happy Birthday Misty!" he said laughing loudly. Ash's eyes widened, though Misty was too busy throwing the "gift" back at Brock to notice. He had forgotten to get her something, he better make sure they went shopping today; Misty would kill him if he didn't have something for her.

"At least put _some_ thought into it!" she said to Brock smiling.

"Yeah, Happy Birthday Misty" Ash said giving her a quick one armed hug.

"So, how's it feel being legal huh?" Brock asked suggestively, which earned him a pancake in the face.

The waitress dropped the check off and they paid, well Brock and Ash paid as Ash had cut in on Misty's part of the bill.

"So Misty, you've been talking about shopping for awhile, you ready to dive in?" Ash said.

Misty's mouth dropped and she quickly recovered from the shock of Ash actually acknowledging something she was interested in doing.

There were so many places to go Misty just wasn't sure where to start, even the boys seemed excited by the never ending market.

"Alright birthday girl, lead the way" Ash said smiling as he bowed and gestured for her to take the lead ostentatiously. She glared playfully at him and walked into a shop to their right. The store's shelves were overflowing with every kind of toy and souvenir imaginable. Toys, plushes, and key chains of all the Pokemon were packed into the shop. Misty just strolled through the shop while Ash scrambled around to find a gift.

"What did you get her?" Ash questioned Brock when Misty turned a corner.

"Nothing yet, but I knew we'd be shopping and I saved up some money.

"I might need to borrow some" Ash replied sheepishly.

"I knew that too" Brock nodded knowingly as Ash set off to search.

Misty walked along the shelves, gazing up at the endless sea of merchandise. Even with her birthday looking bright and Ash acting strangely nice she still felt lonely as she gazed at the colorful shelves. She sighed deeply; she just wanted someone to be close to.

"Hey Misty, you find something you like?" Ash said peering over her shoulder.

"No, not yet" she replied unsteadily as the scent of his body spray once again closed the small gap between them.

Her heart skipped lightly and she smiled to herself with contentment. They walked out of the shop into the sunlight street, Brock already holding a bag.

"You found something already?" Misty said trying to peer into the bag curiously.

"It's not for you!" Brock yelled hiding the bag.

"Ohhh I see, it wouldn't happen to be for a certain Joy would it?" Misty replied coyly.

"Or anyone of them" Ash added.

"I, uh, stop smothering me!" Brock said clutching the bag to his chest.

Misty and Ash laughed, continuing on their way.

'_Ok, I just need to find the perfect bathing suit, that'll get Ash's attention_' she thought to herself.

She looked around for the right shop, but the swim shops were all at the end of the street close to the beach.

"So Misty what you want to do for dinner tonight?" Ash asked.

"I dunno, maybe we'll find a nice place today" she said.

"That's good, cause I'm starved" he replied. Brock and Misty just sighed.

They went from shop to shop trying things on and laughing at some of the ridiculous stuff there was.

At one point Brock ran around one store with a Clefairy hat chanting "Clefairy" for some money.

Laughing and smiling they worked their way down the street. Though as happy as Misty was the more stores they went into the more nervous she got when Ash continued to leave empty handed. She really didn't care about _what _Ash got her, but the image of his uncaring shrug as the gift he didn't get her crept its way into her mind. Through those thoughts she did, however, happen to notice that Ash was looking at her differently, and a lot more than he used to ever since the first shop.

The sun had just started to lower in the sky when they reached the end of the street. Brock had a few more bags in his arms, Ash still had none. Now was the time to extract her plan.

"Oh Ash look!" she said pointing at the largest store on the street. "If we're going to the shore I need a new bathing suit right?"

"Uh huh" Brock said probably thinking something unclean.

"Not you!" She yelled knocking him on the head.

Walking into the enormous beach store they were surrounded by an endless sea of swimsuits of all different colors and styles. Misty's eyes began to tear at the insurmountable task of finding the perfect one. What if she didn't find the right suit or worse what if she found one that Ash didn't end up liking? What if she wasn't able to make him see her in a different light? Would it ruin this night, and destroy any chances she had of being with him? The thoughts choked her with fear but none the less she charged forward and began the search. While Misty dug her way through the suits, Ash anxiously sought for a gift. Misty was intimidated by the sheer number of suits, and was beginning to have a hard time telling one from another. She felt like she was drowning in them and it was becoming difficult to breath.

"Brock! Psst" Misty whispered to the guy drooling over some girls looking at scuba gear.

"What, huh?" he said tearing himself away from his distractions.

"Brock, I need your help. I need to find the perfect suit to get Ash's attention".

Brock thought and picked up the smallest suit Misty had ever seen.

"Not that kind of attention!" Misty growled and threw a sandal at him.

"You should have been specific" Brock grumbled, a red sandal print on his face.

"Please Brock, I really need a friends help right now" she said, her lip starting to quiver and she bit it back to hold it all together.

Brocks expression softened, "No problem Mist" he said his tone completely opposite, filled almost with pity.

Misty pushed through the endless racks of swimwear, her heart thudding in her ears. She _needed_ to find the perfect one, one that'll make Ash forget about training and Pokemon all together. There were so many to go through though. Brock collected a few more that were much better and waited for Misty outside the changing room but shook his head for everyone. A cold sinking feeling of anxiety ran through the back of her arms and neck as the fear of failing became suffocating.

'_Tonight has to be the night it finally works!_' Misty bawled in her head as she slipped on a sky blue swimsuit. Even in the tiny dressing room she could picture the whole night, Ash and her sitting by a fire while Brock had gone to sleep. The feel of the smooth sand under her feet, the sound of the waves breaking over the beach. She would feel her voice pushing to finally break free, her heart would flutter and she would start into a long explanation. Ash would listen as best he could, but eventually he'd get impatient and tell her softly to get to the point. Then she'd finally say the three words her heart had been dying to say for over five years.

"Misty!" Brock called out, breaking her stream of imagination.

"Huh?" she replied still not aware of her surroundings just yet.

"How's that one?"

Misty blinked and looked at the mirror, it was close, but something was missing. She cursed in her head and slammed her fists down on something imaginary in front of her.

She sighed, "It's close, but still not there" she yelped, her shoulders slumped.

All of a sudden she heard Brock gasp audibly and footsteps running to her.

"Put this on!" Brock demanded thrusting a suit through the curtain.

Misty looked at it in apprehension, as if the suit itself had fangs, "Uh, Brock are you sure? I really don't know".

"Misty," Brock said in the best friend tone she'd rarely ever heard him use, "Trust me, I'm sure you'll love it".

"Ok" she replied and took the suit timidly.

Slipping it on she found that it fit perfectly, aside from her joy though she began to wonder how Brock had guessed so well. After it was on she took an apprehensive breath and looked into the mirror.

The bathing suit was perfect. It was a white combination between a bikini and a one piece, where the top connected to the bottom in criss crossing straps sloping fittingly across her stomach. Her breath caught in her chest, she felt so absolutely beautiful, like she could do anything.

"Well? Come on out!" Brock said.

Slowly Misty eased the curtain aside and took a step forward.

"How do I look?"

Brock's mouth dropped to the floor as his eyebrows hit the roof, "Uhh, great" he choked out.

"You're lying" Misty said beginning to feel self-conscious, she folded her arms across her chest.

"No! Misty _that's _the one" Brock stated, "I mean if you weren't my friend" he dropped off suggestively.

"I don't believe you" Misty said shrugging her shoulders to her cheek, though she began to blush.

"Seriously, if you don't believe _me_…" he replied stepping aside, and tapped Ash on the shoulder.

"Huh?" Ash said turning around to see her.

Misty gasped lightly, heart beat in her ears so loudly she couldn't hear anything else.

'_This is it, please let me look good_' she begged.

Ash didn't say anything for a moment, and an awkward silence fell.

"Well, what do you think, Ash?" she asked timidly.

"Uhh, great" he stumbled out. Ash was looking at her very strangely. Something in his eyes that she only saw in those close awkward moments made her head spin.

"Really?" she said spinning around in a circle.

Ash blinked and shook his head, "Yeah, you look good Misty".

She smiled, her heart felt as light as a feather.

"Ok I'm getting this one then!" she said flinging the curtain closed behind her.

"I've never seen him look at me like that! It was like he was looking at my sisters! This is so amazing" she elated to herself.

Misty changed back into her clothes and paid for the suit all the while wearing a beaming smile. They walked out of the store into the waning afternoon sun. Misty noticed that Ash still hadn't bought anything, but the memory of his face when he saw her trumped all worries.

"Hey we're going to check out another store, you want to meet up in a bit?" Brock hinted to Misty.

"Sure" she replied smirking and went off looking for somewhere to kill some time.

Misty wandered around through the buildings looking at some of the shops that weren't on the main street. She found a training toy for Pikachu in a specialty shop for electric pokemon. The store was quite large, though that wasn't surprising given what city they were in. Outside the door a couple of Jolteon were playing around. Walking out of the store one of the spiky yellow pokemon ran up to her and playfully pawed at her leg. She stooped and scratched the Jolteon behind the ear. She was just about to turn and walk back to the main street when she heard a familiar voice.


	10. Chapter 10: The Bursting of the Dam

[10]

~~~~~~~~~The Bursting of the Dam~~~~~~~~~

Well, well, well, look who we have here" Kim said.

Misty turned to see three boys standing together with their arms crossed over their chests. They were dressed in some lame blue kimonos and though it took her a second to place their faces she eventually recognized them as the Invincible Pokemon Brothers.

'_Oh great_' she groaned in her head.

"What are you three doing here?" she snapped.

"Oh, what terrible manners. Is that any way to treat old acquaintances?" Kim replied.

"You guys are jerks that I'd like to forget I know" Misty said.

"Is that so? Well maybe we'll just have to make sure you'll never be able to forget us" Kim threatened pulling a pokeball off his belt.

"So you want a battle huh? Well prepare to…"

"Oh we don't want to battle, no we're just going to steal all of your pokemon and laugh at the look on your face when there's nothing you can do about it" Kim sneered.

"Hah! You three couldn't steal a Snorlax if it was asleep and tied up in front of you!" Misty countered.

"Let's just see about that!" Kim spat as the brothers send out their pokemon.

'_If only I had Gyarados on me_' she thought as she sent out Starmie, Staryu, and Maril, "Ok guys be careful, they're dangerous and they cheat, but I know you guys can beat them".

Kim sent his pokemon charging forward and Misty's pokemon did the same. The battle raged on for awhile before the brothers sent out three more pokemon, six to three didn't sit well with Misty in the least. She was about to dig Golduck out of her bag when the ground began to shake.

"Hey Misty!" Ash called jogging to her with Onix by his side, "Look what I taught…" he stopped and took in the scene. "Oh you guys battling?" he asked excitedly.

"I'd battle them if they weren't trying to steal my Pokemon" Misty replied.

"What? They're trying to steal your Pokemon!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's what I just said!" Misty yelled.

The Invincible brothers just stood, consumed by Onix's enormous shadow, mouths agape. Onix looked at the three and gave an ear shattering roar.

"You know what? Never mind, let's get out of here!" Kim yelled and they all took off running.

"Wow they weren't even brave enough to stay and get blown away like Team Rocket" Misty remarked.

Misty looked at Ash, "I could've done that myself, I didn't need your help" she said defensively, hands on her hips.

"I know" Ash replied smiling, a slight flush on his face, "But I wanted to".

Misty's frown slid from her face, and she looked down quickly blushing, "Thanks" she mumbled.

"Anytime" he replied putting his hand on her shoulder.

In the warm summer air Misty began to break out in a cold sweat, something was different between them now. It was a feeling that coursed through the air, that touch was different than a million other touches that had occurred between her and Ash. In her heart and mind an urge burst from its prison and seeped from the seams of her psyche. She just wanted to push him against the nearby wall and tell him how she felt.

'_Am I really going to do this?_'

She looked up into his eyes; in that moment his gaze gave her the courage she needed.

"Ash…I" but she was cut off by a deep annoying voice.

"Hey you guys! I was looking all over for you both" Brock scolded like they were children. Misty gave him the "you're interrupting" look and balled her fists at her sides.

"Sorry" Brock mouthed silently as Ash returned Onix to his pokeball.

"Here you go" he said handing it back to Brock, who nodded in response.

"So what should we do now?" Ash questioned.

"Well it's getting pretty late in the afternoon, we should find someplace nice for dinner" Brock said.

Misty smiled, "It doesn't have to be _nice_" she said happy anywhere she could be with Ash.

"No, you're our best friend and it's your birthday, you deserve it" Brock insisted.

"Thanks, you guys" Misty said her eyes slightly teared.

With all the commotion she just noticed that Ash was holding a bag that was closed with gift paper. Her breath caught and she silently jumped up and down in her head. They followed the alley back out onto the street and stood searching for the shoreline downtown area. In the distance were some spot lights with a number of large buildings with fancy foreign names.

They stopped at the hotel quickly to change into some dress clothes in an attempt to get into a fancy restaurant. Misty slipped into her off brand satin dress and redid her hair with some sparkling jeweled clips. She finished up and took an appraising look in the mirror. She really felt beautiful in the dress, "like a million bucks" as the expression goes. They met up in the hall and Misty smiled as she saw how handsome Ash looked in his dress shirt and slacks.

Finally the group made their way towards the downtown shoreline gazing up at the expansive city skyline.

"It's so beautiful!" Misty said in awe.

The closer and closer they got the more the town came to life, it was still very early in the evening so the lights weren't as astounding but it hardly mattered. People were bouncing from place to place excitedly, taking pictures and carrying tons of shopping bags.

"Whoa, this place is even busier than Main Street!" Ash exclaimed.

Misty was having so much fun, this was one the best days she could remember having in a long time. Being under the Vermillion City skyline with Ash was heaven. They decided to go to the fanciest restaurant in sight and see if they could get in. Ash had gotten a big paycheck from Professor Oak for bringing him a new pokemon so they were confident they could get a table. They spotted the perfect place, it towered over all the other restaurants and had twice as many spotlights, and it was fittingly called "El Cielo Eléctrico" or "The Electric Sky". As they walked in Misty gazed up at the high ceilings that seemed to stretch upward forever, they were crafted in arches of gold and white with red cascading curtains flowing down the walls. The soft pulse of dance music floated towards them in-between the crowed of discussions and clattering of dishes and glasses. A balding man with a rather large hooked nose peered over a podium at them near the enormous entrance.

"May I help you?" he inquired, but his tone implied he was assuming they were lost.

"Yes, we need a table for three" Misty replied as airily as she could muster.

The man seemed impassive and remained skeptical of the trio.

"We are full till tomorrow" he answered quickly, not even bothering to glance down at the guestbook, "You may wait if you wish, though in those generic heels I wouldn't risk it" he said with a slight sneer on his face.

Misty immediately felt cheap and foolish in her knock off dress and zirconia clips, she could feel the sting of tears threaten their presence but held them back, her face burning red with ill repute.

"Maybe we should just go" she said quietly to Brock and Ash.

"Nah, we'll get in" Brock replied determined, now more than ever.

"Well if we're going to wait around I'm going to go outside and enjoy the city sight, at least it's better than whatever hack decorated this place, just yell if we get in" Misty said strolling quickly out the doors to keep from crying in her embarrassment. The place was gorgeous, she knew that, but she had to say something in retaliation. Who did that guy think he was! Inside Brock thought hard, and after long while Ash could see a dawning on his face.

"I have an idea, just go with it ok?" he told Ash.

Ash nodded as Brock faced in the direction of the maître d'.

"Huh, so I guess Matthias was wrong about this place" he said to Ash somewhat louder than a normal conversational tone. Ash noticed the waiters head look up quickly.

"Yeah, maybe Matthias meant another restaurant" he added.

Brock hid his smile as the maître d' came out from behind his podium.

"Pardon me, but are you speaking of Senor Volt?" he inquired.

"Yes, why?" Brock asked.

"Oh, no reason in particular, we just had table open up if you will follow me" he said.

Ash leant out the door and yelled to Misty. They were led through the huge winding room full of tables with masses of people laughing and chattering away till they reached a table to the right of a massive fountain. Dinner was amazing, even though they couldn't order some things on the menu it didn't matter. They laughed softly at the attentive service they got, it was so surreal, the second they took a sip of water a waiter came by and refilled their glass. It was like being royalty, or famous.

"I could really get used to this" Misty sighed.

"Oh yeah" Ash said leaning back in his chair.

"Too bad it costs us half of our money" Brock said being the voice of reason.

Then the food came, it all looked perfect and delicious. Everything was cooked just right. Misty gazed at Ash as they ate; in the soft glowing light of the restaurant he looked so handsome. Her heart felt as if it were about to burst from her chest. The warm and carefree mood gave her more courage than she had ever had in the past. She could feel the words in her throat once more, yearning to break free. They pressed eagerly at her lips, as if they could will them to finally move into the words.

"Hey Ash?" she said.

This was it; could she really be starting this sentence? Could she actually be speaking what she had been thinking for the longest time?

"What's up Mist?" he replied leaning close across the table to hear.

Misty looked at his lips, and her lips burned to be on his, to feel his warmth against her. Her arms ached to grasp him and to never let go.

"…Thanks Ash" she replied, cursing herself for chickening out.

"No problem, what are friends for right?" he said shoving more food into his mouth.

"After dinner we should change into our bathing suits and got to the shore" Brock suggested after giving Misty a quick glance.

"Yeah, that sounds great" Ash replied.

Misty's heart leaped at Ash's words, '_I really think he's finally changed_' she thought.

Dinner was even better than she imagined it would be, in fact the last few days had been so perfect, things were really looking up for Misty.

They paid the check, thought only after a friendly argument about Misty cutting something in.

Misty, Ash, and Brock exited the enormous restaurant and stepped onto the enormous street.

There was still quite a bit of sun left, as the sun had just started to set, so they decided to walk the food off and made their way to the shore on foot.

"I can't wait to get into my new suit!" Misty exclaimed.

"Neither can I" Brock replied.

"Brock you didn't buy a new bathing suit" Misty said, a puzzled look on her face.

"I know" Brock said looking her up and down.

"Oh my god, Brock!" Misty fumed and punched him on the head.

Ash and Brock cracked up laughing for a good minute as they walked along the street watching the reflections off the buildings and the groups of people as they passed. Vermillion was such a great city. The soft light glow of the sidewalk as the sun overhead reflected from it illuminated their way to the shore. The group went to the changing rooms and changed out of their nice clothes and into their swim suits.

The shore was breathtaking. The changing rooms stood at the top of a sloping cliff that surrounded the beach. A winding pathway that was carved into the cliff side led to the waterfront. As you stood on the beach the seemingly endless expanse of crystal blue water led on forever in front of you as the high rising cliff enveloped the entire shore at your back. The sound of the waves lapping up congealed with the soft sound of the cascading waterfall that wound its way down the cliff in thousands of shimmering rivulets running into the small river that flowed into the ocean. The lush green trees further encompassed the area in glorious beauty. To make it perfect there was no one else there that evening, everyone was in town for some event. Misty stood just trying to take it all in.

"We should set up our tents before we're too tired" Brock said.

Ash and Misty groaned but set up their tents none the less. As they all started Brock looked over at his two companions and couldn't help but get lost in thought. Brock had always known about Misty's "Ash dilemma" and throughout the years, whether she noticed or not, he had always tried to push Ash in the right direction. He would always try dropping a few hints here and there, but Ash was so dense even Brock found himself frustrated from time to time. Lately though Brock had seen Misty becoming increasingly desperate for Ash's affection, and with the new developments things were becoming so complicated. He knew what the breaking point of love felt like, "_the edge of the cliff_", and he could see the dirt scattering through the air as Misty's feet edged slowly over the precipice. He wondered to himself, probably more often than he should, what would become of things if Ash's ineptitude were to break her already fragile heart. Misty had her back to them and was bent over tying a rope for her tent when Brock walked over to Ash.

"Yo, Ash" Brock murmured, nudging Ash in the ribs and gesturing with his head towards Misty.

"Huh?" Brock asked smirking.

Ash broke a small smirk and nodded nonchalantly. He had to admit to himself that over the years Misty had become…different, and he was surprised to notice just how perfectly Misty's suit fit her.

"So you guys ready for a swim?" Misty said her back still turned.

There was no answer, "Guys?" she said turning around.

Misty looked around but Ash and Brock were gone, only their tents staked into the sand were there.

"Ash, Brock?" she called looking into Brock's tent next to hers, though it was empty. Misty slowly tiptoed over to Ash's tent wanting to sneak up on them. She took the final step in the sand and slowly reached her arm out to pull the flap on the tent back.

"Got ya!" she yelled to an empty tent.

She took a step back, "Ok, where are you guys?" she called out, looking around once more and sighing deeply.

"Aha!" Ash yelled as he sprinted toward Misty from behind his tent.

She turned just in time to be scooped up by Ash and tossed over his shoulder as he ran full out to the water. Misty played along yelling and kicking as Ash barreled into the water, though her heart was screaming out with joy. They laughed and splashed each other until Brock and Maril leapt on them. They horsed around laughing and splashing, Misty was having the best time of her entire life. Her stomach fluttered as she watched Ash immersed in the glittering water, the waning sun shining in rays all around them. She smiled to herself in elation, she could imagine their life together so clearly; though her thoughts were cut abruptly short when Ash's eyes met hers. Misty gasped silently, but for once she didn't look away, she didn't blush, she just met his gaze and smiled at him. Even though Ash was probably confused and wondering why she was looking at him Misty didn't care. The feeling of his touch as they wrestled around in the water was heaven, the waves rolling and pushing past them, pushing them closer. This is what she had longed for, all those little moments finally coming together. Six years of waiting, six years of an emotional rollercoaster and now, on her eighteenth birthday, Ash was finally going to be hers.

The sun was lowering in the sky and they gang made their way back to the beach. The soft sand cushioning her feet Misty laid out the Starmie towel that was bought for her back at the hotel gift shop. She settled in lying with her hands behind her head, her Ash lying a short foot away next to her. Brock went further up to his tent to get some pokefood. Ash and Misty laid there in silence, listening to the soft rhythmic and slow crash of the waves as they climbed the shore. Over and over like the steady beat of her heart.

"…Misty?" Ash spoke softly after awhile.

Misty's heart skipped and picked up its pace, breaking its sync with the rolling waves.

"Huh?" she replied opening her eyes and slowly turning towards him. Ash was sitting up on his elbows and looking determined, he was staring out at the infinite sea.

"I've realized something. I was thinking about all of the battles I've won, all those championships, and all the obstacles I've conquered and it's finally hit me" he said turning to look at her, the look in his eyes sent her mind adrift in a sea of bliss. He moved closer to her and took her hands in his.

Misty's breath was coming in short gasps, "What?" she squeaked.

Ash came even closer, "I would have never been able to do any of it without you Misty" he answered; he pulled her to him and kissed her. He started out soft but became more passionate pulling her to him harder. Misty wrapped her arms around him and kissed him eagerly holding as tightly as she could. Her body and mind were soaring, and her heart stopped and nearly exploded when Ash completely left his towel and laid his leg over her, he was nearly on top of her though he never broke the kiss. His warmth caressed her as he mouth wanted desperately against hers. Finally though, he pulled back and gazed into her eyes, "I love you Misty".

"I love you too" she said, finally the words broke from her and sky rocketed into the universe.


	11. Chapter 11: Riptide

[11]

~~~~~~~~~Riptide ~~~~~~~~~

Misty opened her eyes suddenly and looked around quickly. The sun was setting, and the waves had died down, Ash was lying next to her feeing Pikachu.

"Wha, huh?" she shook her head trying to clear it.

Ash looked over, "Morning sunshine" he said smiling.

Misty's brows furled, "I was, sleeping?" she murmured.

"Yeah, for a good twenty minutes" Ash answered.

Reality bit hard against her senses, '_It wasn't real?_' she wailed in her head.

"Misty, are you alright?" Ash asked putting a hand on her arm.

The comfort flowed through her, but the empty feeling inside her remained frozen and untouched.

Tears began to fill Misty's eyes, but she wiped them away quickly pretending to be rubbing the sleep away.

"Alright guys, we should change and get a fire going" Brock said walking up from his tent.

They got up, slowly wrapped their towels, and went to their separate tents to change. Alone in her tent, the glow of the sunset shining through opaquely, Misty tired to get a hold of her emotions.

'_It was so real_' her mind cried out as if to convince herself it was.

"But it wasn't" she said aloud.

Changing back into her clothes she calmed herself, and composed what was left of her bearings. She exited the tent and began to help Brock and Ash build a fire near some logs similar to the ones at the grassy hillside, the dream weighing heavily on her mind. The sun had started to set even more quickly, and the sky was bathed in even deeper shades of red and orange.

"So, should we do the presents now?" Brock asked.

"If you guys want to" Misty replied timidly.

So the boys got their bags from the tents and made their way back to the logs and sat closer to Misty. Brock went first handing Misty a small bag with a little dark blue box inside. Misty opened it slowly and was met with the sight of a shining water drop pendant on a necklace.

"Turn it over" Brock said.

Misty turned the droplet over and inscribed on the back were the words "Friends Forever".

Misty smiled, Brock was such a good friend.

"Thank you so much Brock, it's beautiful" she said leaning over and giving him a quick hug.

Ash slowly handed his gift over, Misty's heart began beating faster and faster. With shaking hands she nervously opened the bag and pulled the gift from it. A huge smile shone on her face as she pulled a stuffed animal Starmie from the bag. It was so perfect, it was cute and soft, but most of all it was from Ash.

"I love it!" she exclaimed hugging the plushie to her. "Thank you so much Ash, it's so sweet".

She leant over to hug him but as his arms wrapped around her the breath was knocked out of her for his embrace felt exactly like the dream. The feelings that overflowed in the dream exploded inside her once more. Though Misty let herself slip out of the embrace a second or so later, the feeling of his touch still lingered against her.

The sun had begun to lower under the horizon until only half remained to cast and orange glow across the entire shore. The light cascaded slowly down the cliff side as the three laughed and built up the fire. The time to act was getting closer and closer and Misty's emotions were threatening to boil over. She breathed slowly and attempted to hold her feelings under control.

'_Just a little while longer_' she told herself running her hand up and down her arm.

Misty, Ash, and Brock talked for a long while, past adventures and all the amazing journeys they've taken all got retold. Brock brought up some flyers that he had seen in town for a two or three day long training meeting.

"We have to make sure we go!" Ash stated excitedly. A steep fall of worry overcame Misty, but it wasn't enough to ruin her mood, after tonight Ash wouldn't care about that stuff like he used to. He was, after all, becoming so different.

The sun was now more than half absent over the horizon and a cool breeze swirled across the shore. Brock looked toward the sky.

"Looks like me may be getting some bad weather" he mused.

Misty and Ash turned to see a vast stretch of black cloud quickly soaring toward them from the direction of Viridian and Pallet.

"It's still pretty far away" Ash said, though the light had died considerably and it wasn't because the sun had almost disappeared over the horizon. The wind grew colder and the waves capped in ends of white.

"See, aren't you guy's glad we set up the tents now?" Brock chided them.

"And anchored them too" Ash replied holding his hat to his head as the gusts seemed adamant on blowing it from his head.

After a minute or so later of talking thunder exploded through the air, and lighting scorched the sky in a jagged streak.

"Um, maybe we should get into the tent" Misty said as she gestured towards the anchored shelter.

"Good thinking" Ash agreed as they all ran into Misty's tent.

Inside the tent they could hear the wind whirling and the soft patter or raindrops beginning to fall, though it was calming in its melodic pattern. Misty carefully set her gifts down beside her as Brock softly comforted Togepi.

"I'm so glad we sprang for these nice tents last year" Misty commented, the storm barely noticeable inside the roomy tent.

"Yeah, I know a good product when I see one" Brock replied.

"If you don't say so yourself" Misty countered sarcastically.

It wasn't raining very hard, but the wind was still a bit overpowering to leave for bed.

"You remember when we all had to sleep in one tent?" Brock reminisced.

"Oh yeah, I remember waking up to Misty's smelly feet" Ash laughed.

"Hey! My feet don't smell!" she yelled, but her bottom lip began to pout.

"Do they?" she squeaked.

Ash and Brock laughed.

"Relax Misty, I was just kidding" Ash said, he smiled and gave her a playful push.

Then like a gunshot something seemed to change, and the next thing Misty knew Ash and her were all over each other, in a tickle fight. Brock just smirked and shook his head with amusement. It felt like a never ending battle, and that was just fine for Misty. Rolling around in the tent, so close together her emotions were building to explode from her.

"Wait" she said breathlessly after awhile of battling.

Ash stopped, being caught off guard he had the most confused look on his face. Brock looked over at Misty leant back on her elbows, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her breaths coming in short strides. Her hands grasped the bottom of the tent in a white knuckled grip. Her wide eyes held back a wild passion confined within her, they were dark and clouded over heavy with emotion that had nothing to do with tickling. Though many women had denied him Brock knew what that look held. The edge of the cliff. His amusement mutated to apprehension as quickly as the dynamic had changed before.

"Well, the wind is gone, so I think I'll head over to my tent" Brock said, "Uh Misty, do you mind if Togepi stays with me? She's already asleep in my pack".

"Sure, that's fine" Misty answered, her voice strangled.

Brock carefully cradled Togepi and quickly made his way out of the tent. As he opened the flap he saw that night had come and the fire gave just enough light to see, the sky was covered in clouds and only the moon shone through upon them. Brock left and zipped up the tent hoping Ash would finally realize what he had right in front of him.

He made his way to his tent "I know you're clueless Ash, but you'd have to be an idiot to mess this up" he said to himself taking one last look at the glowing tent before climbing into his own.

"Thanks again for the present Ash" Misty said starting to regain her composure. She placed the stuffed animal Starmie in her lap.

"No problem" Ash replied, "So did you have a good day?"

"I really did" Misty said, she smiled.

"What?" Ash questioned his eyebrows raised.

Misty looked down, then back up quickly, "I'm just really glad we all met". She had never so happy or so right as she did in that moment. So many feelings whirled inside of her.

"Me too" Ash said smiling. Misty's heart beat in her ears once more.

"Well I should get to bed" Ash said as he turned to leave.

"Wait. Don't you want to stay…and talk some more, you don't even have to go. You could just sleep here if you want" Misty said trying to keep her voice steady.

"I could stay and talk if you want me to," Ash's brow furled, "But why would I want to get in your way and crowd up your tent when I have my own?"

Misty sighed silently, her nerves were tensing to tear apart. The feelings from the restaurant were building up again and she knew, this time, she wouldn't be able to hold them back a second time.

"Well I thought, maybe, you'd want to stay with me" Misty said flirtatiously, forcing herself to speak.

Ash's face became more confused, "I don't get what you mean" he said.

Misty pursed her lips, could she really say what she had wanted to say for six years? Looking at the boy in front of her six years of emotion barreled against her vocal cords.

"Ash, I…" she stumbled out, '_God this is it_' she thought.

"What is it Misty?" Ash asked clueless.

Ignoring his naivety Misty took a deep breath to continue. She sat there on her heels, her hands were balled into tight fists, and her chest screamed for release. All her muscles cried out to open the cell where she had kept her feelings for so long. Misty's throat tensed trying to keep the words from soaring out.

"I…I…" she tried again to say.

"What Misty?" Ash asked not sure what was going on with her.

She could hardly breathe now, the trepidation drowning her. But she couldn't back down now. Six years was too long. Misty forced herself to lock her eyes with Ash's directly.

"I want you to stay with me Ash, because…I love you!" the words sprinted from her heart and out into freedom.

"Every adventure we've had, I've been by your side. Why do you think I've followed you to region after region? I never cared about that stupid bike! I've tried to help you in any way I could with everything I have, and all because I love you Ash, please…please stay tonight?"

Ash stared at Misty with a look like he was trying to disarm a nuclear control panel. Never in a million years did he imagine Misty would feel that way towards him. Misty held her breath, every defense ruined, ever wall torn to the ground, she tightened her fists and waited, just uncovered and unprotected Misty. Ash just knelt there, speechless. Then his eyes softened, and he looked downward.

"Wow, Misty" he said softly, though awkwardly, "You're my best friend, but…that's all. I mean there are some times where I think of you as a girl, but…I don't know, I'm sorry" he finished inelegantly.

His words were an enormous blade that was thrust into her abdomen, her breath abandoned her immediately and her chest was ablaze with the loss of it. Sweat began to form on her brow and neck, the world around her was melting and she felt close to passing out.

"But, but you let me sleep with you under your blanket" she stammered.

"Well yeah you were cold, I was half asleep and there was no other warm place to sleep" he replied.

"But you left me some hot water to shower in, you never do that"

Ash scratched the back of his head like he had done a million times before, "I uh, really didn't do it on purpose. I guess the pokecenter just has more hot water".

He was really starting to get uncomfortable. "Look Mist, we'll always be friends, that won't ever change, no matter what" he said trying to fix the situation.

"You actually asked for my opinion! You were so sweet and acted so nicely! You treated me so differently!" she countered.

Ash really cared about her, but she was getting so hysterical, he had no idea what to do and his smile fell from his face to make room for frustration.

"Because it was your birthday!" he half yelled, "And I figured you deserved it!"

"What about all those looks you gave me today? Huh? What about the difference in your eyes?" she countered.

Ash's face contorted, "What are you talking about? That's crazy, no one looks at that kinda stuff".

Misty's insides hemorrhaged at the implication of being a singled out freak, she let a gasp escape her wounded body.

"What about how much you liked my suit?" she feebly dribbled out.

"God Misty! There's more to love than a stupid bathing suit! You're sounding like your airheaded fashion obsessed sisters!" Ash retorted, insulted that she would think he was so simple as to be swayed by a suit. He was beginning to get angry at how insistent she was becoming.

"That's not what I meant it…" she fell away into agonized silence.

The pain was unbearable as the knife sawed its way to her heart; every small breath caused her agony.

"There's another girl, right? It's that May girl isn't it? I saw how you two were when were in Hoenn" Misty shot back not thinking anymore, leading the way with blind rage as she always did in the past.

Ash felt a blistering white heat lashing through inside of his skull, he shook his head quickly, but it only made the frustration worse. '_This isn't how it was supposed to be, but if she's so damn eager to know then let her!_' he thought in scorn.

"…You really want to know Misty?" he questioned bitingly, his voice so changed and heavy.

Misty slowly raised her pale bloodless face to meet his.

"Yea! Is that what you wanted to hear? Is it? Yea Misty, It's May. I went over to Hoenn and she treated me with actual dignity and kindness, you know a _normal_ way of showing someone how much you care? She's waiting for me to come back, I was going to tell you guys at a better time, but since you were _so_ eager to find out, I am happy to help!" he finished, panting and letting his arms fall roughly to his sides.

The knife tore its way to her heart and slowly sawed on it, ripping and tearing mercilessly. Images and memories of every little contact she had seen between Ash and May came violently to her eyes. She felt a lacerating wrench of her insides and tightened her throat against the bile that rose disgustedly.

"Oh" she mewled, the world extinguishing in that one word.

The blinding heat raced from Ash's head as quickly as it had come, he saw Misty there, saw what he had done to her and immediately regretted how he had said things.

"Misty, I" Ash started, extending his arm.

"It's fine, you can go" she said smiling a begrudging grin.

Ash slowly turned and stepped to the door, he looked back quickly.

"It's fine" Misty repeated shortly.

Ash left the tent and she could hear his tent zip up moments later.

Misty just stared straight down at the blue plastic floor of the tent. Then all of a sudden a water drop plopped down onto the floor in front of her to form a tiny puddle. It mingled with the navy blue to become a darker shade. Misty rubbed it into the floor with her finger, she looked up to see if the roof was leaking but realized with fright as a convulsing sob escaped her throat, that it was her tears as she had begun to cry. It all crashed over her in an enormous wave of pain and sickness. She fell forward to her knees, clutching the stuffed animal Starmie. Misty buried her face into the plushie,

"I'm…so…stupid" she choked out in a drawn out whisper as long agonized sobs shook through her entire body. She pulled the stuffed animal tightly to her and keened into it. Every thought that came to her mind brought grief and pain like an arrow being shot into her, she shook her head wildly and burst from the tent falling once and scrambling into a run, not looking back.


	12. Chapter 12: Caressed by the Storm

**Greetings and salutations to you all. Just some very quick announcements.**

**-Chapters 10-12 are new so make sure that you are all read up to this chapter.**

**-Chapter 1-4 are rewritten (in case you didn't see before)**

**-Please REVIEW, I cannot tell you how much it helps!**

**Well, I sincerely hope you enjoy Chapter 12,**

**Anthony Shadows. **

[12]

~~~~~~~~~Caressed by the Storm~~~~~~~~~

The rain poured down as the tears poured down Misty's face. She ran blindly, not really knowing where her feet were taking her. She ran as a ghost, her feet jabbing against the pavement there, but not there at all, her hollow shell tearing along through the night blindly. All she could do was relive every moment her and Ash had ever had together and it had come crashing down upon her that all those little moments meant nothing. She had convinced herself that there was something there that wasn't, that he had had feelings for her. But none of it was ever real, none of it was true. And the worst part was that Ash was in love with that other girl, he wanted to hold May, wanted to spend time with her. They probably have had so much more fun together than she and Ash ever had. Misty bet they'd held hands, and whispered into each others ear…probably even kissed. Even though it was summer the Vermillion night was almost frigid and the wind chilled her to the bone. She could feel every drop of rain, she could feel everything, and all of it hurt. She wrapped her arms tightly around the little Starmie shivering as she saw, through teared vision; she was all the way into town. Misty was a far way from camp but she didn't care, what did anything matter? Misty just kept running through the dark and now deserted town, sprinting past the empty streets which tore by her in a blur. Misty lost her balance going down the small hill of a road. She could feel the gripping resistance of the road disappear from under her two blurs of feet as she all at once slid and became airborne. Falling through the air there was not any single thing in the entire expanse of the universe that Misty could do to stop it. The dark slickly wet and black pavement grew closer and closer in very stunted and slow motion. The only act that she had time to complete was to take an anticipatory gasp in fear and anxiety regarding the pain that was gradually approaching. Finally her slender body came careening into the unforgiving pavement and it tore its way into her as all of time seemed to speed twice as fast as normal, screeching around her. She tumbled for what seemed like an eternity, the road lashing out at her soft skin over and over continuously, but finally came to a halt. Lying in the road that small gasp of breath she took before the fall slit its way from her mouth to be replaced by a horrendously jagged intake of breath. A single second of silence merged its vortex around her, and she could single out every individual bursting rain drop as it crashed into the ground.

Then that new breath tore its exit through her face and lips, both of which were nearly mashed into the wet road, as a heart lacerating scream of grief into the abyss black pavement. Utterly uncaring about her cuts and bruises she limped her way upright and began to sprint once more. She never slowed down once, until she saw the dark gym with the black lightning bolts ahead in the distance. Knowing the doors were locked Misty still ran towards them thinking maybe if she hit them hard enough it would knock her out and she could be rid of the pain that was tearing her apart. She burst through the door, however, and into the battle area; and even through her grief she found it strange the door was unlocked. Misty stopped dead in her tracks and stood there in the dark shaking, still clutching her gift and crying silently.

'_What if he doesn't ever want to see me again?_' she thought. A lump formed in her throat, and she could barely breathe. She blinked rapidly trying to stop her tears from falling; she tensed every muscle pleading with herself. All of a sudden a draft washed over her and she could feel a warmth caressing her from a dimly lit hallway on the gym wall to her right. She could smell the soft scent of burning wood, floating from the same direction. The entire time she had been running she really hadn't been thinking, now as she stood alone in the dark gym she couldn't believe she was doing this. Fear crept up slowly to merge with her silent tears. Misty eased her way towards the flickering light quietly and slowly as to make sure her shoes wouldn't squeak.

'_What if this is just another stupid mistake?_' her mind chocked out.

She stopped, it felt like she was stabbed in the chest all over again, more tears formed in her eyes.

'_What am I doing here!_' Misty thought as she neared an open doorway with faint orange light spilling out. She peered into the room, careful not to be seen. The room was enormous. On the same wall as the door to the right a large fireplace crackled. There was a huge stained glass window that stretched all the way to the high ceiling next to the bed over on the right wall. On the wall to her left a tall bookshelf spanned the entire distance to the wall across from the doorway. Then her eyes found what they were looking for. Directly across from the doorway, Matthias was leant back in large black leather chair with his feet propped up. He was reading an old looking book intently, the soft firelight reflecting in his eyes.

He looked so mature and content, gripping doubt entangled her lungs and her mind screamed to back out now, why should she ruin his night with her stupid problems. Misty's breath caught in her throat as she stood there just trying not to run as fast as she could out of the gym. In her mind she could him looking up, a frown appearing on his beautiful face. She could see him asking her if she had heard a word he said before and telling her to get out before he called Officer Jenny, the fire in his eyes against her. She felt the tear of pain and fear paralyzed her. New tears spilled down her face as she fought the urge to sob at the horrible image in her head. She wrapped her arms tighter around the drenched Starmie, rain water dripped from it under the pressure.

Then Misty accidentally sniffled. Her heart stopped cold as the noise echoed off the stone walls and Matthias looked up from his book immediately. Everything tensed as Misty braced for his reaction. Matthias blinked twice then his eyes widened with recognition. He stared at her, standing in his doorway soaked and dripping. Her arms legs and face, cut scraped and bleeding, her eyes so red with tears. Her legs barely held her small weight as they trembled as if they would collapse at any second.

"Misty? Oh my god Misty, what's wrong?" he said leaping from his chair. The old book clattered to the floor as he rushed over to her, his familiar scent following him quickly. She wanted to answer but she was too afraid and embarrassed, her throat tightened in the wave of emotions.

'_What if I came all this way just to make an idiot out of myself again!_' she screamed in her head as her heart fell to the floor.

"Misty are you alright?" Matthias pushed with concern placing his hands on her trembling arms, the warmth from his hands masking some of her pain.

'_Why can't I say it!_' her mind reeled, she just shook her head quickly as the tears broke free from her will. Her face turned red with embarrassment and she looked down in shame.

She heard Matthias take a deep breath. "What's happened?" he said lifting her chin up and speaking as softly as he did at the grassy hill, being careful of the deep cut near the side of her mouth.

Misty just shook her head again, '_God! Just tell him!_' she begged herself.

"Misty here, please sit" he said quickly pulling over a small expensive looking chair. She looked at him, his eyes not fire but wide with worry and gentle with overflowing compassion.

"…No, I'm soaked, I'd ruin it" she murmured finally finding her voice, it was so small and weak she hardly recognized it.

"Don't be ridiculous, sit" he said in a stern yet caring tone.

Misty sat there dripping all over, clutching the Starmie with crossed arms, her trembling legs thrust forcibly together in a failing attempt to hinder their wavering. Her burning red face held an almost unbearable amount of misery and embarrassment.

"Here, we'll just put this right over here" Matthias said gently placing the soaked and dirt streaked Starmie on the small table next to her, and taking her hands in his. His touch was just as soft and strong as she had remembered.

"Misty, please tell me what is the matter" he said, "What's happened?"

Misty's lip trembled as she tried to force herself to speak. Matthias looked so pained not knowing, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Ash…doesn't…love…me" she sobbed out, "He…never…did". And with it finally out she dropped her head and began to cry immeasurably harder than she had back in the tent, admitting it aloud bringing new agony tearing through her small frame.

"Oh Misty…Misty. I am so horribly sorry" he quickly let go of her hands and pulled her into a tight embrace.

She was startled at first but there was something about his embrace, it was so warm and enveloping, something inside just melted away and she let it all go.

Misty cried, she stopped caring about what Matthias was thinking, or how she must have looked, and just cried. Grabbing onto him like he was the stuffed animal Starmie, she sobbed into his shoulder in shaking tremors. Grasping the soft fabric of his shirt in her fists with desperation for reason she cried out her love, her memories, and everything about Ash. Matthias held onto her tightly, holding her together. He slowly rubbed her quivering back and arms trying to comfort her, "Shhh, it's ok. I have you, you're right here. It's ok" he said tenderly.

"What's wrong with me!" she croaked, crying violently into his shirt, her voice muffled with the fabric, "Why am I so repulsive!"

He pulled away quickly, Misty felt the stab of pain from it, but it quickly faded as she saw his face.

"_Nothing_ is wrong with you, some guys cannot see what is right in front of them. You should _never _think it's your fault" his words and expression burned with honesty. She was thrown off for a second, staring wide eyed and mouth agape, but buried her face into his shoulder once more and wept the remaining feelings from her. Matthias continued to rub his palm caringly across the slender slope of her back until her convulsions subsided.

"Shhh" he said softly as she took a deep, slow, and very shaky breath in and leant back.

Blinking the tears from her eyes she caught sight of the large dark spot on Matthias' shirt.

"Oh god I'm so sorry" she squeaked out, covering her face.

He looked down quickly but paid no attention, "Misty it's fine. But you need to stop crying before you cause me to as well" he smiled sadly, brushing a stray strand of, what he thought to be, the most beautiful citrus hair out of her face.

"Better?" he asked gently, "Would you like some hot chocolate to drink?"

She nodded feebly, actually feeling better but so very weak.

"Ok then, I'll be right back with that" He started to turn and make his way to the door but stopped when he saw the look of panic on her face.

Knowing Misty's strength, Matthias knew immediately that a simple excuse was all she needed to accept the help.

"Would you like to accompany me, milady?" he inquired and offered out a crooked arm playfully. Misty slid her arm into his and gradually got to her feet.

Matthias slowly escorted her out of the bedroom and down the dark hallway, the sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up and the muscular embrace of his arm around hers comforted Misty.

In the almost pitch black light of the hall they seemed to be floating along, and that strange feeling a house adopts at night when it's dark was all around them. Misty's clothes were still soaked and she shivered against Matthias. He looked down and gave a minute gasp.

"Oh my, I'm sorry" he said stopping and opening a door that was invisible to Misty in the dark. His hand emerged holding a big towel that he wrapped around her, "Shall we continue then?" he said courteously, keeping up the medieval act. Misty broke a very small smirk and nodded.

Finally they reached the kitchen, even at night the room looked beautiful. Across from the doorway was a long stretch of cabinets crafted from dark cherry oak that ended into a large stovetop and oven, then continued once more. The small yellow light atop the stove was the only source of illumination. There was a medium sized round dinner table in the corner of the room to her right and that was adjacent to a set of huge sliding glass doors that overlooked a large deck into the backyard. Misty took a seat at the table and listened to the rain patter against the glass. Matthias glided around the kitchen opening a few cabinets here and there. He was humming a slow and melodically soothing lullaby as he worked, the musical notes playing to her soul. In the dim light watching him moving gracefully and humming it was almost as if he were dancing, but she knew it was just the trickery of the shadows. Matthias placed a silver kettle onto the stove and filled it with milk and chocolate, carefully measuring out each with his eyes. After stirring the mix for a moment he closed the lid and ran a clean washcloth under the cold water. Walking over he knelt close in front of her, the rag half raised as if to ask permission. Misty leant her cut forward timidly and Matthias gently dabbed at the scrape on her face. At first she hissed with the sting but the cool water began to soothe the gash. Misty looked at him for a moment and the sincere caring and worry in his eyes made her blush and turn her gaze elsewhere. He gently handed her the washcloth and drew a seat across from her at the table continuing to hum softly as he gazed off into the room absent mindedly.

"You have a beautiful house" she said timidly.

Matthias looked over at her and smiled, "Why thank you, I tried" he replied.

"You mean you designed this?" she asked.

"Well I had professional help, but the ideas were mine. He had the nightmare of trying to make them work" Matthias chuckled.

Misty smiled and a small laugh escaped.

"That is what I want to see" he said leaning in closer to her pointing a finger in her direction as the silver kettle rung out. He got up and gathered two large coffee cups off the counter and poured the hot chocolate slowly into each one. He handed her one and cleaned up quickly.

"Shall we?"

Matthias led her back to the bedroom and pulled the large leather chair, and the chair that she had been sitting on closer to the fire. They both sat, slowly sipping on their hot chocolates for a short while, the sweet rich drink warmed Misty and cleared her head. She sniffled once or twice but only to clear her senses. She took this new time of sanity to study the room a little. Most of the books inhabiting the immense shelves looked very old, though she couldn't read their titles from where she was. Everything looked neat and orderly except for the table next to where his leather chair used to be and a shelf next to the fireplace over by his bed. The shelf was littered with small leather bound notebooks, a very high tech looking music console, an alarm clock, and some bottles. She saw that the delicious scent he wore was called Obsession Night and that he had some pictures of Raichu and himself at some victory hanging on the wall. A graceful classical music piece flowed softly from the speakers that hung all around the room. It was dark, but not entirely, and flowed melodically much like the man sitting next to her. Misty listened to it as she sipped, and found it sounded familiar to her.

"Is this Bach?" she asked hesitantly.

Matthias raised an eyebrow slightly, "Yes it is, that is very impressive" he remarked.

Misty felt her face flush and looked down slightly, "My mom always played Bach when she read" she explained as the song came to a close.

Matthias smiled and picked up a small remote and pointed it to the shelf near his bed behind him, "I won't frighten you with the music I am most partial to, but how about a change of pace?"  
"Sure" she replied, wondering what type of music he thought would be frightening.

He switched on a heavier alternative band and settled back into his chair. Misty finished about half of her glass and set it down carefully. She looked back at Matthias to find him grabbing something from the shelf near his bed.  
"I heard, that it was your birthday" he started, his voice a bit quieter than before. "I was planning on just sending it with a note, seeing as how badly I messed things up before, but it's much better this way." He held out his hand and presented a black and purple Masterball to her.

Misty gasped, "You, you got me a pokemon?" she said stunned.

'_I can't believe he would do this for me!_' she thought disbelievingly to herself.

Matthias smirked, "It took an eternity to find, I lost her twice as well".

His warm strapping hand took hers and softly placed the Masterball in her palm. "Go on, try it".

Misty stared at the shining gift '_Oh my god, he took that much time to catch __**me**__ a pokemon?_"

"What is it?" she stammered her head feeling light.

Matthias smiled with excitement in his eyes, "You will have to find out".

Misty tossed the ball to the center of the room and felt her heart stop for the thousandth time as she saw what emerged from the light. A shining blue Vaporeon sat there looking at her curiously, its nose twitched and it cocked its head slightly to the side. It was the most beautiful water pokemon she had ever seen and the cutest as well.

"She's so…amazing" Misty said softly, hardly knowing what to make of everything.

Vaporeon wiggled her ear and blinked twice, "That's your trainer" Matthias said leaning low with his hands on his knees to talk to Vaporeon, "Take care of her ok?" he told the pokemon lightly.

"Vaporeon!" it answered and bounded over to Misty leaping onto her lap and licking her face. She felt an odd unfamiliar feeling as she hugged the little pokemon to her and stroked behind its ears gently. It was a feeling that Misty was sure she had almost never felt in her life, but she didn't have a clue as to what it could possibly be.

"How did you find this? Wild Vaporeons are almost as rare as Articunos" she asked.

"Well I must confess it took me quite some time to manage that feat. Days of searching and swimming through caves to be honest" he answered timorously.

Misty smiled, "Knowing you, you must have enjoyed the caves".

"How hilarious" Matthias replied narrowing his eyes playfully as he took a seat back into his chair. They both preoccupied themselves with petting Vaporeon and listening to the music as it carried through the room. Misty watched Matthias, leaning forward in his chair, allowing the little pokemon in her lap to paw at his fingers and smiling with the utmost content in his features. Suddenly the nameless emotions she was feeling became defined in one crashing instant, and she finally realized that these emotions were what she had wanted to feel for her entire life. Misty felt like she belonged, as if she was a part of something. She felt accepted and wanted, that there was someone out there that could be thinking about her and that was the greatest feeling. After a little while longer Vaporeon began to yawn, and Misty decided to call her back into the Masterball. As the little pokemon disappeared into the red glow her eyes were already beginning to close. Misty smiled to herself and looked back up at Matthias, who she was surprised to see had a very serious look upon his face.  
"Misty, may we speak for a moment" he asked his voice cryptic.

"Sure, uh what do you want to talk about?" Misty said nervously. Matthias took both her hands in his and looked down to the floor for a moment.

"Misty, I need to apologize for my actions two nights ago, at the grassy hills. I didn't mean to act in such a way."

Misty felt light headed, the room melted into the clear memory of Matthias' words that night, that horrible night and fear of losing him once more gripped her, sweat raced to surface on her brow.

"No, don't" she stammered.

Matthias' brow furled, but his eyes widened quickly with understanding. "No! no" he said beginning to speak very quickly "I want to apologize for leaving, not for kissing you, actually I enjoyed that verily, however I digress. I feel so horrible about just taking off in such a rush, I was so absorbed in not hurting you that I ended up doing the very thing I was trying to avoid." He stood and walked over to the fireplace gazing into it, one arm crooked over the mantle. His features were taunt with thought as he sighed through his nose with fervor.

"It's just…I have been having these feelings and I do not have a clue as to what I should think or do".

"About me?" Misty said from her seat.

Matthias turned to her with a small incredulous smirk, "Of course".

"I just do not know what to make of them" he continued turning back to the fire, the flickering light casting trembling shadows against his unmoving thoughtful beauty.

"Don't ignore them, don't deny them" Misty said, standing quickly and putting a hand on his arm.

Matthias scoffed a soft and friendly scoff, "I couldn't even if I wanted to" he returned smirking.

Misty smiled, her heart beginning to beat hastily, she was surprised to feel that it could still beat.

Something changed in Matthias' eyes, they became more focused and concise, he looked as if he wanted to say something and was combing through his words with laser precision.

"Misty," he said, his voice hung in the air like silk, "I cannot tell you what these feelings are, but what I can say is that I have never met anyone like you. Since I first saw you in my gym, there was something about you that captivated my utter soul. You are so expressively unique and so sharply intelligent, you have struck me so exceedingly every time we've met. I haven't been able to cease thinking of you since the very first minute you came into my life" he finished, his eyes glowing in anticipation.

Misty just stood, unable to move in the wake of emotions that flooded her. Slowly, very slowly tears began to fall down her delicate cheeks.

Matthias' eyes widened, and he quickly stepped forward and wrapped his hands around her upper arms, "Misty what's wrong?" he asked in fear, his mind whirling, trying to ascertain what he did wrong.

"I thought you never wanted to see me again" Misty replied smiling brightly through the tears.

Matthias let out a sigh that relaxed his entire body, then he slowly looked her in the eye and shook his head chuckling softly and stepping even closer.

"Misty," he breathed.

Misty became instantly aware that they were no more than inches away now, she could feel his invisible energy brushing against her chest, "What?" she questioned her voice barely above a whisper.

"May I ask you a question?" his silk voice now heavy and full of breath, more like the velvet she heard in her dreams.

She could only give the barest of nods in return.

"Do you honestly believe that the doors were left unlocked by accident?" he said, in a voice that she could almost feel so smooth and caressing against her skin. Her eyes widened with the gravity of his words, he had left the doors unlocked ever since that night at the grassy hills. She could imagine him sitting there each night, just hoping she would come. More tears flooded her eyes, but with joy and elation. She blinked them away quickly as the coursing energy between them arced, once, twice. She could feel the immense pulse of the thrill within her.

Matthias parted his lips to say something but his movements faded away as Misty, closing those mere inches, put her hand to his chest and slowly slid it upward. Caressing over his taut muscles, past his collarbone, to his shoulder. Matthias' eyes lost their focus as he inhaled gradually with her touch. She looked down with the intimacy of his gaze and the emotions it stirred, but only for a moment, she soon returned his gaze looking up at him through her lashes. Her liquid blue eyes gleaming, she took her hand upon his shoulder and snaked it up to wrap her palm around the back of his neck.

"Mis…ty" was all Matthias could whisper out before she pulled his lips to hers.

The moment their lips collided her heart burst back to life filling her with white hot flames of pleasure that stroked every part of her body. The song "End of Heartache" began to play around the room, Misty remembered her final thought was of the irony before her being gave way to the flames to consume her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him tighter to her. Matthias kissed her back irrevocably, there was no hesitation now, no worry of taking advantage of her, just the passion he felt for her taking over. He could taste the faint sweet blood on her lips but paid no regard. Misty enveloped her hands into his hair of silk, small sounds escaping from the back of her throat. It was unbelievably more intense than their kiss at the grassy fields, and it held so much more, her every sense cried out in shuddering bliss. It felt as if the very air in their chests were being sucked out with tremendous and blissful force. His fingertips encircling her waist just beneath her shirt, smooth skin against her skin, his warmth penetrating her wherever his fingertips traveled was enough to launch her into a vast heaven of ecstasy. He caressed her along, moving so fluidly, they almost seemed to glide across the dark wooden floor. Every fiber in every cell of body craved to be closer and closer to him, to meld into one. There was a rushing in her ears, like the flowing of water. His hands searched the slender curvature of her body, running along her soft bare flesh until they found the icy cold metal of the button on her shorts. She could feel his tender embrace as he steadily peeled the soaking clothes from her body, spine tingling bolts radiating from his eager and nimble touch. The cold air met her bare body, her skin tightening into gooseflesh only to be melted by the intense heat, an almost a burning sensation, of Matthias. Her fingers fumbled at the seemingly microscopic sized buttons of his dress shirt, until she merely tugged feebly at the shirt and moaned in protest. Matthias began to work at the buttons, moments later giving up and splitting the shirt open, the buttons dropping to the floor with a soft patter. New blazing heat flared as his naked chest met hers in sizzling prickles that tugged at her very center. Her chest swelling with anticipation she pressed herself urgently into him, rising to the tips of her toes and back, her arms straining at the back of his neck. The involuntary movement sent quivering explosions through her. She cried out into his mouth, an unmistakable sound of ravishing pleasure muffled against his lips. The side of the bed softly nudged at her leg, Matthias made to open the blanketing to tuck her under but Misty arms squeezed against his back, pulling him to her once more.

"No, don't let go…ever" she whispered.

"Never" he returned.

She felt the electricity surge as Matthias unhurriedly cradled her into the bed, the near searing heat of his body and the encompassing warmth of the bedspread sheltering her once and for all from the cold and filling her head with nothing asunder.

She was running through the gardens behind the gym in cerulean. The soft scent of growing life rising all around her, and she felt the power, the essence, enter into her.

She was soaring above the tops of the trees of the viridian forest. Her body unimaginably weightless with the flight, the wind contoured to her form as she flew towards the tips of the trees. Each individual leaf craned themselves skyward toward the light, to reach out and nestle themselves across her passing flesh gently. The life within her building, a pressure of bliss rose to join it. She was everywhere and nowhere. She was in his arms and in everything.

She was paddling through the endless expanse of ocean before her. The surging water connecting her to everyplace the infinite waves led. The pressure was building even still; now straining against her, but the more it fabricated the exponentially stronger the bliss coursed.

She sifted downward in-between worlds, suspended between the two glimmering planes of existence in a place of clouds and color. Closing her eyes, her breath quickened with the pulsing of life still tugging within her. Her eyes opened to a starlit heaven above her, soft cool grass lulling the lustrous expanse of her limbs. The stars glittered in a performance only she recognized, and the moon gleamed brightly for her eyes only. The scent of all around her was transduced into the completely intoxicating aroma of Obsession Night. It filled her mind causing the blissful pressure to build greater and greater until she felt as if she would burst or become the feeling itself. The euphoric ecstasy burst outward, rocketing her into the stratosphere, the stars penetrating through her very being with coursing spasms. Everywhere and nowhere, she was cradled in his arms.


End file.
